Dvla finally get in touch. Help

[Leeds85]

So we reapplied for my partners driving licence in August 2018, last week he finally got a letter asking me to fill in a B1 and DR1 form, I am certain I filled one out when reapplying. Anyway we filled it all in again and luckily got gp help for dates, I also sent a well supported letter from the rehab consultant (it was just a clinic letter as we discussed driving at our last appointment in August 2018 with him). I was just wondering if anyone had got on to the next stage following sending the Dr1 form and B1 forms back and how long it took?

Thank you

[sospan]

I went through several rounds of submitting a form then submitting a different form. Then having to submit the first form with the additional form. Then writing for specialist advice. Then requesting the first form again ......

Eventually, I turned up at the DVLA office and presented all the forms which were checked at the counter and I got my licence back in a few weeks

[Leeds85 in reply to sospan]

I wish we could turn up at dvla but we live 5 hours away from there. Continually ring them but no one seems to be able to pass us to a manager and we have to wait. I am hoping that now they have received the forms they speed things up considering we have waited since August 18

[sospan in reply to Leeds85]

Yes been there - speaking to the contact centre, then being told you can't speak to the team directly but your application is in the queue but could take several months .....

[cat3]

The fact that my hospital were ahead of the driving licence issue meant I was almost unaware of any problem, apart from not driving for 3 months. Once I was on the recovery ward and compass mentis I was asked to sign a form with a pre-printed declaration of my particular brain injury which was sent to DVLA.

At my recall appointment three months after discharge, my surgeon told me what a remarkable recovery I'd made and, regarding driving, told me to phone the DVLA that day to say that Mr …….. (my surgeon) considers me fit to resume driving. I phoned them and was given the OK...…. and never had to surrender my licence. So, including my hospital stay I was off the road for a total of 5 months.

I wonder whether other neuro hospitals have this arrangement ? I see mostly on Headway that it's left to the individual to sort out and if all too often a nightmare process. Cat x

[Leeds85 in reply to cat3]

My partner went to a brain injury unit and it was them that reported his brain injury to the dvla. The neuro rehab team were not happy that this had happened as they said that their patients are aware they cannot drive and then when the neuro team feel their patients are ready to drive they inform the dvla of the injury along with a letter to enable them to drive following injury, hope this makes sense.

[cat3 in reply to Leeds85]

I presume the initial team have a legal duty to inform the DVLA as patients with brain injury aren't in a position to do so. And if that person's insurance, MOT or permit(s) expires whilst they're hospitalised they'll be spared any consequences.

[Ro_76]

I sent my application off to get my licence back around august or september 2018 if I remember rightly. I had my next check up with neurologist in November 2018. After this I had another EEG on NYE having had 2 episodes of fainting/brief black out. The test came back normal with no signs or seizure (even after a fainting/spaced episode at start of test), and as yet I have heard nothing back from DVLA. I did receive a letter to say it was being processed through my doctor notes. So maybe one day in the next 2 years I may hear back! They don't rush these things it seems...

[Leeds85 in reply to Ro_76]

Hi Ro, hopefully you will hear something soon. We didn't even get an initial letter saying they had received our application. We rang them monthly to start with and then last month started ringing weekly and finally got through to to someone who wasn't just reading the updates, she did something about it because we rang back again and was put through to her and all of a sudden we got a the Dr 1 and b1 forms. I am hoping this next step is quicker, I understand they are very short staffed when applications reach the medical team. Ours took from August to November to reach the medicals and then had to go to the supervisors due to the complexity of the brain injury

[Ro_76]

Thanks Leeds85 yes chasing up constantly is probably the answer. But for myself I am in no rush to drive again just yet. So what will be will be. I do plan to take driveability lessons after though to ensure all is still ok following the injury. I hope you hear back soon regarding your partner's. Will be interesting to know how long it takes. Good luck. Xx

[Katie55]

We were very aggravated by the DVLA we had so many delays and lost forms We were advised to contact our MPs local office ...

We rang at 10am and the license was in the post by 5pm !

The MPs secretary rang us to tell us it was in the post we could not have been more surprised

[Leeds85 in reply to Katie55]

That's great Katie , I have tried contacting our local MP to get no response via email, unfortunately my uncle had a brain injury many years ago and my auntie tried going through the local MP too, coincidentally the same MP as we have now and she got no response. I will go speak with our gp if needed but I have rang them today for the dvla to tell me they haven't received our application. After explaining we sent it next day delivery by 1pm on Thursday the lady on the phone suddenly found it and told me to ring back next week. She did say they will write to us should there be any action, not very helpful, I asked what the next stage was

[Broken_Doll]

I am going through this process myself and it is rather arduous. I submitted my reapplication in December 2018 and have so far received another wad of forms asking more in depth about seizures (I’m not epileptic but did suffer with post traumatic seizures for some time following my brain injury). It wasn’t enough to send a letter with -ve EEG results from Neurologist.

More recently I had to attend a 30 minute private GP appointment (that the DVLA paid for) to go through more repetitive forms going into some depth regarding seizures (yawn) and cognitive impairment (in quite a lot of detail). I have given up on seeing a brown envelope on the doormat after initially waiting expectantly with every Royal Mail delivery.. lol!

I wish you every success with your application!

Emma

[Leeds85 in reply to Broken_Doll]

Really, my gosh my partner had post traumatic seizures when they did the craniotomy. I hope we don't have to go through all this again with more paperwork. It was difficult to answer the questions as he is conscious throughout a seizure but unable to control a vehicle if he had one. He can tell me when he knows a seizure is going to start roughly ten mins before and then he can tell you the time, what happened to his body throughout the siezure and what time it finished. I have a feeling we are going to get the forms you got, however my partner has never had to have any form of eeg, I did ask his consultants and they said he doesn't need one. He has had numerous ct scans but no one wants to do eeg on him.

You are like my partner he waits everyday for the post man to come I hope that his licence will come.

I really hope you get sorted with yours, I let my partner phone them one day (I usually do all the phone calls) and I don't know what he said but suddenly the b1 and Dr1 forms arrived!