• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Totally Frustrated with the DVLA

DMM49

Member
Messages
19
Location
Henley-on-Thames
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Having diabetes and not knowing why BG levels seem to rise & fall of their own accord.
Having honestly filled out the form to renew my driving licence I received a letter from the DVLA telling me that they were refusing to renew my licence and that I must stop driving immediately. Unfortunately I told them about 2 severe hypos I'd had back in December & January, both at home, and both when I was taking a 10 week course of industrial strength antibiotics following a total knee replacement. I explained the details on my application but it appears that nobody read that. I saw my GP at the time and have seen him since receiving the ban. He has written a supporting letter to the DVLA. I was told initially by the DVLA that it takes them 2 weeks from receipt of a letter to posting it into my records. On 5 October I confirmed that my GP's letter was in my record and was told that it would be ELEVEN WEEKS before anyone at the DVLA would read it. On 5 October they were working on correspondence from 17 July. How can any department possibly operate with a continual 3 month backlog in their workload?? At this rate my GPs letter won't even be looked at until the week between Christmas and New Year. I expect to remain totally grounded, when I'm perfectly fit to drive, until well into the New Year. I have written to my MP about the delay and have had a reply to say that he was going to write to the DVLA on my behalf and would let me know what they had to say when they replied to him. Mega frustrated at the DVLA's incompetence.
 

I feel for you, but as a T2 who doesn't take any medication, I can't say too much about your experience, except that it probably is worthwhile looking into a couple of things. From a presentation, delivered by a Diabetes Consultant, I seem to recall any such "banning" can effectively expire, relating to the 12 months since the event. I've expressed that very badly, but effectively it could mean you could be eligible to be reinstated in January, once 12 months has elapsed.

I'll tag @noblehead , @donnellysdogs and @Jaylee , as long standing T1s, who have far greater, relevant experince than myself.

Good luck with it all.
 
I can reapply 8 weeks before the time when I will have had only one of the severe hypos and that will be on 26 December so I can reapply on 31 October. I have all the paperwork ready to go but am still up against their eleven week delay. I have read posts from years ago with people experiencing the exact same problems with the DVLA and their inefficiency. Your HbA1c is looking great. Would love to have those kind of numbers!! Well done you.
 

I'll cross my fingers for you DDM49.

Yes, in so many ways, I have got lucky with my diabetes. I seem to have managed to wrangle it into a good place, for now at least. Of course, I will always carry risk.

In fact, I've just realised I was diagnosed exactly 2 years ago today, and was removed from the register again in November 2014.
 
A eleven week delay is ridiculous, tbh I've not had too many issues with the DVLA and last time I renewed my licence it took them around 5 weeks to process the application.

I don't have any thing to offer in the way of advice, but I wish you well in getting the DVLA decision overturned @DMM49, with your Dr & MP's input it should help support your appeal.

Good luck.
 
Email Oliver Morley I did and got a responce I wanted
 
denbo said:
Email Oliver Morley I did and got a responce I wanted
Click to expand...
Tell me more about emailing Oliver Morley. When did you email him & why? Did it speed up the process?
 
Many thanx for your help and suggestion. I have just written an email to Mr Morley explaining everything and asking him to help if he possibly can. I'm not holding my breath but hopefully it won't hurt.
 
I've been waiting since last Xmas when I stupidly told them I'm now on insulin. They cannot get a reply from gp and gp reception refuse to push gp or let me see them to discuss it.
 
I am having exactly the same problem! I too completed the medical form and noted that I had two hypos requiring assistance. However, in the first instance I misread the question, my second hypo that required assistance was a hypo where I was conscious and aware of what was happening, however, we had to get paramedics to the house because everything that I was eating/drinking to come out of my hypo was not working. Long story short I was sent to hospital to receive Gluocogan via IV until bloods had stabilised.

My doctor had written a note regarding this hypo, yet the DVLA still felt it wasn't safe for me to have a license? Despite only having one major hypo within the year, this was back in July.

I then re-applied on the 1st August (2 months before my 12 month mark), with the assisted hypoglycaemia question answered correctly this time! It took two weeks for them to receive the re-application. I too have been waiting for 11 weeks, I'm expecting to hear something this week as it will be the 11th week but I'm not holding my breath. It's quite unfair, they were on the ball at getting me off the road but getting back on is a nightmare!

I'm keen to hear if your email is received and what response so you get so please re-post. If I don't hear anything from the DVLA this week then I'll also give it a try. Best of luck with your re-application, seems like we all need it at the moment!
 

I received an email today from the Customer Complaint Resolution Team acknowledging receipt of my email and telling me that my email is receiving attention. It says that I should receive a full reply within 10 working days. I'll see what happen with that but am not holding my breath. Once I get a reply I will let you know. I have my reapplication ready to post on 31 October, 8 weeks before the first date is a year old. I can't imagine that is going to be acted upon any quicker than the letter from my doctor supporting my request to lift the ban and renew my licence. Good luck with yours and let me know how you get on. Many thanx for your reply.
 
spacebod69 said:
I've been waiting since last Xmas when I stupidly told them I'm now on insulin. They cannot get a reply from gp and gp reception refuse to push gp or let me see them to discuss it.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately you have to tell them when you go on insulin and at that point they should give you a licence that valid for 3 years. Not sure what you're having to ask your GP about.
 

Thanks very much @DMM49!
 
As others have recommended, write to Oliver Morley the CEO at the DVLA. I know Oliver from the large institution where he was CEO prior to the DVLA. Oliver was by far the best CEO that the institution has had in recent years.
 
Ambersilva said:
As others have recommended, write to Oliver Morley the CEO at the DVLA. I know Oliver from the large institution where he was CEO prior to the DVLA. Oliver was by far the best CEO that the institution has had in recent years.
Click to expand...
Many thanx. I have written to Oliver and that's why I received the email from the Customer Complaint Resolution Team. Appreciate your help. Like you I'm Type 1 on Lantus & Homolog.
 
Hello, I am Type 2 and on insulin since July. I posted off the request for a medical licence and it was received by DVLA on 4th August (Royal Mail Tracked). They put it against my records on 10th August. When I telephoned them last week they advised they were working on post from 31st July so it would be another 10 days before they got to mine! I don't think it is the content of the forms that holds them up, just pressure of work/lack of bodies. Keeping my fingers crossed to hear before the end of October. Hope you hear from them very soon.
 
Hi. Firstly, I would like to point out that I have had two lengthy driving suspensions during my time as a motorist. I feel your pain. The suspension of a drivers licence is seriously inconvenient and seems insurmountable at first. Eventually we find workarounds and manage. My life was changed permanently at age 15 by a driver who was unfit for the road. I am certain that you understand the need for DVLA to make reasonable enquiries to ensure that both you and the people you share the road with are safe. That tragedy with the dustcart in Glasgow last Christmas was a case in point.

Now I'll come to the key point, the massive time delay in dealing with your review. It's political I am afraid. Our last two Tory led governments have attacked and decimated the civil service. There simply aren't enough people employed in places like DVLA to turn enquiries like yours around. It has been easy for government to demonise the civil service , supported by press bias, but anyone who needs a driving licence, a passport, benefits, non critical NHS procedures, a driving test, a correct tax code, a state pension , secure border control, police keeping our streets safe etc, etc, etc, needs a well staffed, correctly trained civil service. The public sector workers are in the vast majority paid a pittance and are now having their contracts rewritten and their pensions attacked retrospectively. As experienced staff leave, workforce numbers drop and inexperienced increases. I work in public service and have seen it first hand (not DVLA, and yes, I have had many occasions when I have been pulling my hair out with my own medical evaluation process) . We want to help people like yourself as efficiently as possible, so at least you know where you stand, but resources are not available and that issue is what needs to be taken to ministers.

Good luck with your medical review.

Regards, Dave (T2)
 
Thanx Dave, I appreciate all you say and definitely appreciate that we need to make sure we're all safe to drive. Part of my frustration is the fact that had a competent person read what I wrote on my application to renew my licence this could have been all avoided. I'm convinced that what happened is that some admin clerk just typed in the dates that I put on my application and that generated an automatic letter banning me and refusing to renew my licence. The letter that they sent stated, "We have received medical information as part of this enquiry......". The only thing they received is what I sent them and they hadn't enquired about anything. To my mind, if they are working with a reduced number of staff then they need to seriously look at their processes and drag themselves into the current century. They are dealing with tons of paperwork when, in fact, a lot of it could well be automated. A number of their forms are available electronically but they can't be filled in and submitted electronically. Other forms are only available in paper form and must be filled out by hand. Presumably, someone at the DVLA either has to enter the info into their system or scan the paper document and upload that to their system. All very antiquated and labour intensive. I have written to my MP and to the MP who heads up the Commons Transport Committee. My MP has written to the DVLA on my behalf but, as of this morning, had not received a reply from them. Many thanx again for your input Dave. I really appreciate that & I know that I'm not the only one suffering because of the DVLA's gross inefficiency.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…