I am happy about the 10 year ruling. I think that has been done to bring us in line with the EC. When I went to live in the Netherlands I was obliged to change my driving licence, and was given a licence valid for 10 years, and no horrific forms.
When I returned to the UK my diabetes was rather unstable. I needed to change my driving licence back to a UK licence. My consultant at Guys/Thomas' advised that I wait until my diabetes stabilised before sending in my replacement/renewal request. It appears that the DVLC does contact the diabetic team, and what they say DOES matter. When I was given the OK by the team my licence was exchangedin a very short time - just a couple of weeks. I was told that I could drive without a copy of the licence whilst it was being processed - however, as a Londoner I do not possess a car, and when I need one I rent. I may well have had problems if I needed to rent a car in the replacement period.
It appears that the law regarding licences is being brought more into line with the EC regulations, I would favour the licence being totally replaced by a EU licence. And why do I have a plasitic photo-ID AND a stupid paper licence that is rather large for my wallet, and is becoming tattier by the day.
In my experience it is not the DVLC but insurance companies that are the biggest problem for those with diabetes. I bought my first vehicle - a Honda 90 motocycle - in 1973. Licence no problem. I had real difficulty getting insurance - and had to make use of a broker.