It's time to renew my license....

[the_anticarb]

It's the dreaded filling-out-the-renewal-form time. I have heard how draconian the DVLA can be, and although I understand that they have a duty to remove unsafe drivers from the road I don't agree with some aspects of how they do it, for example not having an appeals process for drivers who lose their license on medical grounds.

Anyway, it's time to fill in the form. I've not seen my GP about my diabetes for a long time, as I've been under the care of the hospital but I only go there every six months, last time was July, and not due to be seen til the end of Feb. I'd rather my GP is the one they contact as I see a different consultant at the hospital every time.

I have heard that if you've not been seen recently by a medical professional they send you for a medical with one of their own doctors?

So I am thinking, am I best to go and see my GP just to update him on my condition (it's fine, HBa1c is fine, few hypos, they are always mild, no further eye problems) so that I've seen him recently and wait to submit my form until after this? . I have until the license expires (April) to submit but want to get it done before that. I know they will send me for a field test as I've had laser in both eyes but AFAIK I still have a full binocular field so am not expecting too much trouble from that.

The DVLA strike the fear of god into me particularly as I'd lose the job I loved if I lost my license!

 

[scoop]

I too had heard of 'draconian' DVLA but found just the opposite. I have renewed a few times. They have contacted my GP and on another occasion they sent me a follow up letter. Last month I sent the forms in for renewal. Don't be intimidated by the space provided. Tell it just as it is. One of my answers could have been misinterpreted, as I came to know. Instead of following up on this issue with letters back and forth, DVLA rang me. Direct question resolved the whole thing. And it showed that a person with common sense was on the other end of the line. Got the license within days. At least on this occasion Well Done DVLA.
Best of luck!

 

[noblehead]

Probably best to go and see your gp if they insist on a check-up in the last 6 months @the_anticarb

It won't matter if you see a different consultant at the hospital as they are just checking on your medical records when writing to your diabetes clinic. As for your licence expiring in April, if they do decide to do medical checks your still allowed to drive beyond your expiry date unless you've been told otherwise by the DVLA, when I last renewed my licence the process took 6-8 weeks and as I had not heard anything after 4 weeks I rang the DVLA, the chap on phone said they were carrying out checks and I was allowed to drive even if I didn't here anything before my licence expired, apparently there's a section in the regs that allows a person to continue to drive if a medical check is being carried out and is taking longer than expected.

 

[the_anticarb]

Thanks for your replies. I may go and see my GP so I can say I've been seen there recently before returning the form.

I think I am slightly DVLAphobic - but it's actually a really good incentive for me to take care of my diabetes as I never want to be on the receiving end of a letter saying my license is being revoked.

Anyway I had a field test done privately today to see whether there's been any damage to my visual field, and it's quite remarkable that despite 5 x lasers on each eye and one vitrectomy on my left eye, I have a near-full visual field with only one dot missed which is right at the bottom of my field (so where the dashboard/gearstick would be). My consultant assured me that he would not laser in my DVLA area looks like I was right to trust him.

 

[noblehead]

Sounds like (fingers crossed) you shouldn't have any issues getting your licence renewed, keep the thread updated on your progress