Guess what I got today!!!! Yes a letter from DVLA telling me i need a medical. This is after 8 months after they received my renewal application and 5 months after my last short term licence expired. Also two of the puppets at DVLA had categorically told me I wont be needing a medical this time. The time scales have changed somewhat to the last time I received one of these letters some 20 months ago. I have attempted to upload the 2 pages of the current letter received today for your info and others but I cant seem to do it on these forums
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If you PM me I will attempt to do it on a PM. Basically you now have to wait 7 working days before you even phone the franchise doctor for an appointment. Plus you now have to attend the examination within 6 weeks of the date on this letter. Actually I think it was 6 weeks on my last examination too but this was impossible because the franchise doctor for my area was on long term sick for 3 months and the next closest franchise doctor was in Frome which is a small town 15 miles away from Bristol and his surgery was overwhelmed with medicals from Bristol as well as his own area, so they had a massive waiting list and it was impossible to get examined in 6 weeks on that occasion. Oh and in these circumstances DVLA were able to change the law and not revoke the application.
Well yesterday morning I decided to phone Montpelier health center in Bristol and make my appointment with Doctor Mitchell. The receptionist said he was away all next week and the earliest appointment was the 12 August. I explained this was no good, the results have to be back with DVLA within 6 weeks of them sending out the letter. She apologised but categorically told me they had NO dvla medical appointments available till 12th August. I accepted this appointment but told her I would need to explain the situation to DVLA.
I the phoned DVLA and spoke to "Puppet number one" who I will call Sherlock Holmes. The reason I call her Sherlock, perhaps I should call her "Miss Marpel" is because she put me on hold for 10 mins at my expense. Then she came back on the phone and accused me of telling lies, she said she had phoned Doctor Mitchell's surgery and been told they had appointments available this Monday 15th July. I argued with her and she tried to make me look a kunt in front the other "Clown" puppet that was sat next to her!!! I assured her I was not telling lies and would call the surgery again.
So I immediately called Montpelier health center again and accused the receptionist of being 2 faced and telling porkies to me. She assured me she was on the switchboard and had not received any calls from "Miss Marpel" and there was no appointments available till 12th August. She did ask a college and the college admitted receiving a call from "Miss Marpel" and did in fact tell Miss Marpel that they did have appointments available this Monday. So end of the day, Puppet "Miss Marpel" was right. However there were not any appointments available next Monday and Miss Marpel was given the wrong info. I am getting annoyed now and tell the DVLA franchise surgery to phone DVLA and explain the mistake. The receptionist does not know the DVLA telephone number and I have to tell her it.
I cant trust DVLA or the franchise surgery if the surgery do not know DVLA's phone number how can I believe they are even in contact with each other!!!. So I call dvla again, this time I speak to the "CLOWN". I explain the situation above and suggest he phones the surgery and sorts it out, then phones me back. The Clown would not have any of this, he thought I was pissed and making it all up.
I eventually lost my temper and told the clown that someone was either lieing or mistaken and it was either dvla or the doctors surgery but it certainly was not me. I then said I was on my way round to see my "Member of Parliament" of which the Clown agreed I was entitled to. He was adamant that he was not going to phone the franchise doctors surgery because he was not allowed to make appointments for me. I said, well "Miss Marple decided she had the power to do just that half hour earlier and she was given the wrong fukin info. NOW its upto you and your own franchise doctors to sort it out and find out who is in the wrong. PLEASE STOP ACCUSING ME OF TELLING LIES. It ended that he would get a supervisor to call me back.
An hour went by, no call from a manager. I call the normal line again, I'm sure they got call recognition because a manager answers the phone after 2 rings. Speaks to me like a human being, apologises for the mistakes agrees that I have in the meantime accepted a cancellation appointment on 5th August.
Im happy, I can sit in my garden and have a few extra beers this weekend
