Licence revocation

[mintychill]

I sent a lengthy post last night that was rejected. I am not willing to write all that again just to have it wasted. Basically the DVLA have revoked my licence on medical grounds that I contest, and I am taking them to court. As my life, business and therapeutic voluntary work have all been severely affected by the revocation, I would like to know if anyone has ever claimed compensation and/or damages from the DVLA and won. They are a bunch of inept stinkers and I'd like to do some real damage.

[mintychill]

Okay, so I now have this working and I'll post more.

I am in a desperate situation. I am disabled with a serious blood condition for which I have to take warfarin, and a spinal problem for which I take morphine. I also have a learning disabled 25 year old son who needs almost everything done for him. My driving licence is essential for getting around, by myself or with my son. My husband is not my son's father, but he has had to take on some of his care because I cannot drive. He has also become responsible for doing all the shopping. We have been married for almost three years and the current situation is a terrible strain. We do not claim Income Support, as my husband has capital from his house sale, but the money is going quickly and my husband cannot seek work whilst he has to do so much for us. Last year I began selling my home made jewellery and was having some success, but doing craft fairs etc. was only possible when I could drive. My husband needs to look after my son whilst I pursue what was a promising business, but which has now collapsed. So we have suffered financially, my considerable investment in craft materials etc. has been largely wasted, and we have a car that is rarely used.

I was stunned by the letter, back in December, informing me that I was not permitted to drive. The explanation at that time was that I was clearly suffering side effects from the medication I was taking, and this might affect my ability to drive safely. The drug in question was not named. There is no evidence that I have ever driven dangerously. When I asked for a review, I was turned down on completely different grounds; they had seen in my medical notes that I used to use an online pharmaceutical service, and now they are accusing my of drug dependency and abuse. This is absolute nonsense as the online service is perfectly legitimate, and in any case I have not used that service since my GP began prescribing the medication (zopiclone) that I had previously had prescribed by e-Med. All the drugs I have taken in the past two and a half years have been legitimately prescribed by my GP. The DVLA have a statutory period of 12 months from 'misuse or supra-therapeutic dosage' before they will issue a licence, so even if they continue to insist that the drugs obtained from eMed were improperly used, they should still have issued a licence. My GP supports the issue of a licence, but the DVLA are unbending. I involved my MP very early in this matter but his intervention has also been rejected. He is now going to ask for a face to face meeting with the Minister For Transport. I am waiting for an appointment to see a private doctor who will give an opinion on my fitness to drive. We go back to court on 17th June.

Even if a licence is issued that day, a huge amount of damage has been done. The DVLA have pulled my life apart. I am willing to take any action, including reporting the doctor to made the decision to the General Medical Council as incompetent. I really, really want to make the DVLA remember me forever. I want the system changed. It is likely that many thousands of other people have suffered similarly.

Does anyone have suggestions as to how to involve the media? I have done that before on other issues, to great effect, but thus far have had no success in communicating to the media just how badly, and on what spurious grounds, the DVLA can destroy lives.

[Conniff]

It's not a face to face meeting with the transport minister that is required, it is a face to face meeting with the idiot nobody who thinks he/she knows better than any other person on the planet.

[mintychill]

My MP wrote to me on Friday. He is quite willing to ask for a face to face meeting with the Minister. I'd be happy to join him, but problems travelling and caring for my son may preclude this.

In the meantime, in all this glorious weather, my son and I are stuck in our house in a small village. My son does not have the recreational opportunities that most people of his age have, and we used to enjoy going to the pretty villages around here for tea in a cafe, or to feed the ducks. Just anything, to get out.

It is an intolerable situation that will be resolved, but I massively resent having six months taken out of my life. If I had run over and killed an old lady, or been caught driving under the influence of alcohol, I would at least have a fair trial. The DVLA can ruin the life of a disabled person with no redress.