DVLA Medical Issues!

[dsfrank]

Hi guys,

 

I'm currently in a sticky situation with the DVLA's medical branch.

 

Approximately three months ago I stupidly decided to falsely inform my doctor that I was suffering from blackouts in order to get a sickline from work (the real reason being stress, but being so young I thought he wouldn't have listened to me). Well anyway, the Doctor knows my family and knew that I was a bus driver (little did I know..). He immediately informed the DVLA without notifying me he was doing so and referred me to a Neurologist with suspected epilepsy. I went back to him within a week to say I was indeed lying and apologised for any problems caused as I didnt want to fill spaces in the Neurology clinic that people genuinely needed. A day later I received a letter from DVLA revoking all of my licences (car, bus, lorry and motorbike).

 

I asked my Doctor what to do and he told me to keep my Neurology appointment as did the DVLA doctors as they required contemporaneous confirmatory evidence. I explained everything to the Neurologist when I attended and he sent me for a brain MRI and ECG. He sent the results as well as a supporting letter of his opinion that I did not suffer any blackouts and that they were indeed fictitious through to the DVLA. Throughout this process the DVLA contact centre said they were just waiting on the MRI coming through.

 

Well, they received all of the documents and they were reviewed yesterday and no further action was taken. I cannot understand how the DVLA can still revoke it after all my tests came back clear and the medical opinion of a consultant was that I was fine? Do I legally have a leg to stand on? Does anyone have any advice for what I should do?

[BazzaS]

Hi guys,

 

I'm currently in a sticky situation with the DVLA's medical branch.

 

Approximately three months ago I stupidly decided to falsely inform my doctor that I was suffering from blackouts in order to get a sickline from work (the real reason being stress, but being so young I thought he wouldn't have listened to me). Well anyway, the Doctor knows my family and knew that I was a bus driver (little did I know..). He immediately informed the DVLA without notifying me he was doing so and referred me to a Neurologist with suspected epilepsy. I went back to him within a week to say I was indeed lying and apologised for any problems caused as I didnt want to fill spaces in the Neurology clinic that people genuinely needed. A day later I received a letter from DVLA revoking all of my licences (car, bus, lorry and motorbike).

 

I asked my Doctor what to do and he told me to keep my Neurology appointment as did the DVLA doctors as they required contemporaneous confirmatory evidence. I explained everything to the Neurologist when I attended and he sent me for a brain MRI and ECG. He sent the results as well as a supporting letter of his opinion that I did not suffer any blackouts and that they were indeed fictitious through to the DVLA. Throughout this process the DVLA contact centre said they were just waiting on the MRI coming through.

 

Well, they received all of the documents and they were reviewed yesterday and no further action was taken. I cannot understand how the DVLA can still revoke it after all my tests came back clear and the medical opinion of a consultant was that I was fine? Do I legally have a leg to stand on? Does anyone have any advice for what I should do?

 

They will apply their guidelines:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neurological-disorders-assessing-fitness-to-drive#transient-loss-of-consciousness-blackouts--or-lostaltered-awareness

 

on the up side: you were wanting time off work, and you've got it!.

 

If they are refusing you a licence and you feel you are entitled : you can appeal to a Magistrates Court. This must be done within 6 months of the refusal.

[dsfrank]

The guidelines refer to someone who has experienced some form of loss of consciousness. I haven't. I have provided medical evidence to show that there is nothing wrong, along with two medical professional's opinions, so surely I cannot come under those guidelines?

[BazzaS]

The guidelines refer to someone who has experienced some form of loss of consciousness. I haven't. I have provided medical evidence to show that there is nothing wrong, along with two medical professional's opinions, so surely I cannot come under those guidelines?

 

If you are saying that you lied about having blackouts, DVLA may well say you could be "lying about lying", in order to keep your licence.

 

The problem is if they are treating you as:

Unexplained syncope, including syncope without reliable prodrome, where

"This diagnosis may apply only after appropriate neurological and/or cardiological opinion and investigations have detected no abnormality."

 

Appeal to DVLA, and if needs be to the Magistrates.

[mikeymack2002]

I am glad you lost your license. I hope the hospitals bill you for the time and the costs of the MRI.

 

An MRI can take up to an hour. If this unit only has one in its hospital then you may have put a GENUINE patient at risk.

 

Next time say you have an upset stomach. It's better than what has happened.

 

The reason for my post is I am a genuine patient and have MRI'S often due to damage on my brain.

 

The longer the DVLA KEEP your license the better. This is punishment in the nicest of ways.

 

I think that you now realise that what you did had unfortunate consequences learn from this. BTW the DVLA can revoke your license for a minimum of six months and you must be fit free for a minimum of THREE years. Even then you have to jump through more hoops and may lose your entitlement to drive certain classes of vehicle.

 

Rant over I hope you are now feeling extremely stupid and very sorry for what you have done.

 

What goes around comes around. Sorry if you don't like my post but there it is. No sympathy but a smile, wrong I know but this sentence fits the crime!!!!

[dsfrank]

I am glad you lost your license. I hope the hospitals bill you for the time and the costs of the MRI.

 

An MRI can take up to an hour. If this unit only has one in its hospital then you may have put a GENUINE patient at risk.

 

Next time say you have an upset stomach. It's better than what has happened.

 

The reason for my post is I am a genuine patient and have MRI'S often due to damage on my brain.

 

The longer the DVLA KEEP your license the better. This is punishment in the nicest of ways.

 

I think that you now realise that what you did had unfortunate consequences learn from this. BTW the DVLA can revoke your license for a minimum of six months and you must be fit free for a minimum of THREE years. Even then you have to jump through more hoops and may lose your entitlement to drive certain classes of vehicle.

 

Rant over I hope you are now feeling extremely stupid and very sorry for what you have done.

 

What goes around comes around. Sorry if you don't like my post but there it is. No sympathy but a smile, wrong I know but this sentence fits the crime!!!!

 

Firstly, I did immediately inform my doctor in order to be pulled from my original consultation so that I didn't keep anyone in genuine need of the appointment waiting longer than they should (to spell this out very clearly for you, this was way before the mri etc)

 

I don't have an upset stomach, nor have I claimed to. I'm a young individual who is going through a very tough patch in my life. I anticipated the doctor would take the same attitude as yourself had I told him it was stress and to act as though its equal to something as trivial as a sore tummy and send me home (however this hasn't been the case thus far).

 

And, just to clarify a few things for you -- after a short email off to a lawyer and more clarity on the recent publication from the DVLA, they can keep my licence for a minimum of 6 months, most likely a year if I were to fall under the medical guidelines, but as I don't then I should be able to receive my licence back asap. If not, my lawyer will write to them and take it from there.

 

(Oh, and just because you have brain damage doesn't give you any right to come onto forums with a bad attitude about who is deserving or not. I have paid plenty towards my national insurance, have you?)

[BankFodder]

I think that the post by mikeymack2002 is unhelpful in so far as it is judgemental. We have lots of people on this forum who do very silly things and get themselves into scrapes. We are here to help them. We aren't really here to diminish them and humiliate them. So I would ask mikeymack2002 to refrain from making these kind of comments in future.

 

However, in terms of giving you advice, I'm afraid that you have bought a situation on to yourself – as you well know. I think that if you put your hands up to what you have done, you will get in further trouble because your conduct has essentially been criminal and has been an attempt to commit fraud.

 

There is no doubt that your behaviour has wasted a lot of resources – but it has also wasted your own opportunities.

 

I think that you may well have to do your time and find out what period is required for an absence of any symptoms before you can start to restore your licenses.

 

It may well be that even if your licenses are restored, there will be periods of regular review – say every year or every three years – before they are restored completely.

 

I've really no other idea as to what could be the best course of action for you.

 

You should certainly start investigating DVLA procedure to find out how you can make an appeal and what the basis of an appeal would be.

 

You should also discuss with your doctor as to whether he is prepared to support you if you do make an appeal.

[mikeymack2002]

BF/OP I have it appears that the way I write causes offence, I may not write the way thos ewould like, I can only try to post differently, I did as you can see state that they were wrong but at the end of the day I did not cause the loss of the OP's license, I also have suggested that they return to their GP and ask for the right help and then to seek councilling if need be.

 

 

There is a lot of help out there for those that ask for it in the right way. Unfortunalty for the OP they did it the wrong way! Hopefully they can see that now and they can get the help they so much need. (if this is still the case?)

 

 

As far as being judgmental I was not. The OP did what they did for reasons known only to themselves. As for being reported for my post I will have to consider what I write and how I write in the future. What has been upsetting is the fact that that the OP lied in the first place.

 

 

There are many genuine people that suffer blackouts/epilepsy for real. This is an awful situation that affects our lives dramitically, this is why I posted the way I did. For this reason please see this link >> http://www.epilepsy.com/connect/forums/family-friends/faking-seizures

 

 

I feel that if they knew then what they know now they would most definatley not have done what they did. If the OP site team wish for me to appologise to the op then i shall openly and with respect, maybe everyone sitting here right now can read my link above...

 

 

To the OP/Site team I wish to say sorry for my post and can only offer this reason for it. But this will go to BF via PM Please all read the link it is very useful...

 

 

 

 

MM

[BankFodder]

Thank you

[think about it]

Given that the DVLA's last public experience of someone telling lies was this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-30580114

 

I'm not surprised they're holding on to your licence.