Driving Licence

[Elecheetah]

I filled in a form to inform the DVLA that I had a TBI in June 2021 - I have still not heard anything back from them. I am now feeling ready to drive again - but not sure of my status ? Does anyone know how I can go about finding out ?

[Hidden]

I was advised by the hospital not to drive for 6 months after my tbi I filled the DVLA form like you and sent my license back after the 6 months I phoned DVLA to see about getting it back,they sent a form to my doctor to fill in which he did saying I was fit to drive so I'm all it was about 8 to 9 months for the license to come back and to be able to drive again was bliss,good luck

[Elecheetah in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Jodac - did you receive a reply from your form in the beginning ? I sent mine in shortly after returning home from hospital (July) but have still not had a reply - I still have my driver license as i have not been asked to return it. The hospital suggested it would be at least 6 months before I was fit to drive and now I would like to know my status! I think i will try to call them to check they even received my form. Thank you for your reply - it gives me an idea of how long it may take - and yes I can imagine the lovely feeling of freedom hope all is well for you in the future

[Hidden in reply to Elecheetah]

No I didn't as such I had sent my license with my form and I just counted down the days but then I had a comminuted fractured wrist in a cast,just phone the DVLA I found them really helpful and good luck with getting the go ahead

[Elecheetah in reply to Hidden]

Thanks again - I will give them a call

[Heavychunky1]

It took me just over 7 month dealing with dvla about my drivers licence ended up having to get local mp councilor involved after that I was sent for a clinical medical at dvla cost all in took just over 7 month even tho they had all the details from hospital and doctor report , they still wanted me to attend a medical but it was worth it as still have my licence and all entitlements with no restrictions , I'd recommend try to keep in contact via the phone if you can deal with being put on hold, maybe not the best info but hope it may help in some way

[Elecheetah in reply to Heavychunky1]

Thank you Heavychunky - I hadn’t considered the possibility of restrictions - so really useful advice for me - I will call them ( maybe have a cup of tea to hand )

[Ashmag]

I had a seizure and it took a year .This happened in September and in the January the consultant said I was fine to reapply after 6 months

He needed to fill a form in saying as much but wouldn't do it until the 6 months was up .

So from the Easter until September I heard nothing .

I rang early on a Saturday (best time to ring) and said I was about to lose my job and the licence arrived without warning 5 days later .

This was a fortnight short of the year .

I didn't get a medical licence either .

[Elecheetah in reply to Ashmag]

Thank you Ashmag - it seems I should start now to try to hit the golden year that it seems to take good advice about Saturday - really helpful

[Catperson18]

Morning. I am in the exact same position as you. Had TBI July last year. Sent the notification to the DVLA in August, I have been told that they have the application but can’t tell me when they will look at it. I have really struggled to get through to anyone at the second, but managed to get through to someone on Monday who said if I can get a letter from the surgeon/Dr saying it is ok to drive then that is ok until which point the DVLA process the application. I am just waiting for the surgeon to get back to me with a letter to say this is ok. If it is any use I managed to get through about 7pm at night but it took me quite a few times.

[Elecheetah in reply to Catperson18]

Thank you Catperson - we are in about the same time scale it seems - I will take you’re advice and keep trying to call them - maybe also speak to my doc re a letter to pre empt their reply - hope you are doing well

[Catperson18 in reply to Elecheetah]

I’m doing ok thanks for asking. I am still getting some killer headaches in the evenings. I really hope I get the license back soon, I run a car sales business and it’s just so frustrating not being able to drive….however I have my life so that is more important. Hope your recovery is going well.

[Elecheetah in reply to Catperson18]

Evening headaches - that sounds familiar ! Mine are mild though - I feel for you - I also wish for you your license back - must be a real tough time for you trying to run your business. Hope you can keep appreciating the silver lining - good luck

[Catperson18 in reply to Elecheetah]

Morning. Just to let you know I received a letter from DVLA last week (so 5 weeks) saying they have processed the application and need a letter from the surgeon. I had a call with her yesterday, unfortunately she said there wasn’t much point clearing me to drive when I need the cranioplasty, good news is she has just brought the op forward to 1st of March

[Elecheetah in reply to Catperson18]

A bit of a silver lining i guess - thanks to your persistence ! Wishing you well on March 1st x

[Mikey48]

It took 10 months of to-ing and fro-ing to get my licence back after my SAH in 2015. It expired at the end of November 2021 so I reapplied using their renewal form and I'm still waiting. Why not liaise with your medical team to see if they've been asked for any information? Good luck.

[Elecheetah in reply to Mikey48]

Hi MikeyThank you for your reply - my GP has not heard anything yet and I have been discharged from the hospital consultant ( actually handed over to a different hospital because of my address being in a different county) I have not seen a consultant at the new hospital so I am just with my GP who is very pro active and helpful. It seems most of us have had some difficulty and obstacles but we get there in the end ! Keep well

[Teazymaid]

It took me 10 months to get myself back driving /. The dvla contacted the consultant and my GP to check my ability .. it was at least 6 months before they would consider me .. with the bleeds in the brains I had .. I did ring them but got no help at all from them but as soon as the consultant phoned me I knew things were happening and I chanced my GP ans the dvla again to get them to contact …

[Elecheetah in reply to Teazymaid]

Thank you Teazymaid I will keep trying - I’m sort of inside the reasonable time span and my injury sounds very similar to yours - so hopefully I am half way there Keep well

[cyclinghu]

Hello Elecheetah - I had a tbi in February 2021. Was in hospital for 3 weeks and had a double brain bleed. When I came home after I was advised by my doctor that I really should inform DVLA - I completed on line forms - after about 6 weeks I was feeling much better so I started driving again with no problems. About another month passed and then I had a letter from DVLA revoking my licence for six months - I tried to communicate with them but they said wait for the 6 months before communicating with them again. My gp was very helpful and wrote on my behalf but it took 9 months before I heard again - then I day my licence just turned up in the post - I got my entitlement to drive cars and motorbikes back but my HGV and PCV entitlements had been deleted. I would have to reapply for those and have more medicals which is the norm but I probably won't bother as I'm 66 now and can't imagine I will ever want to drive artics around the UK roads again. I found the loss of my licence very difficult and painful to deal with as I live in a very rural area. The return of my licence was probably the best thing to have happened since my injury. I hope you manage to get this issue sorted soon and I wish you very well and hope you are making a good recovery ❣️

[Elecheetah in reply to cyclinghu]

Such kind words cyclinghu thank you very much - its so good to have this group to talk to - somehow people who have not had a TBI have less understanding than fellow sufferers no matter how kind and genuine they try to be.

[Teazymaid]

Like cyclinghu getting my license back was the closest to normal I had felt since my accident .. I did also have to have my clavicle reconstructed as I was in half for seven months as they wouldn’t let me have an general anaesthetic for at least 6 months . So has to check with the shoulder surgeon as well about driving … It’s 13 months now and I am fighting to get back to the best I can be … waking up in a very old person body was hell … good luck with your progress .. it does take time and also a lot of unknown about what you will able to don in the future

I don’t write much but being in this group has helped me feel I’m not alone

[Elecheetah in reply to Teazymaid]

Oh gosh Teazy you have been through it haven't you - but pleased to hear you are back driving and hopefully recovering well - I am rather like you in that I don’t often write but have always been cheered up by such lovely responses - its a great group

[CallumR85]

I had my TBI back in October. I did stop driving straight away and sold my car to remove any temptation but so far I have not informed the DVLA. Is this something I need to do or does the hospital inform them? Is there a form or do I make a phone call? I've been meaning to check on this for a while but it's one of those things that has kept slipping my mind until I noticed this post.

[Elecheetah in reply to CallumR85]

Hello Callum Thank you for your reply. If you go to DVLA website and look up Health and Medical Conditions then print the form B1 and fill it in and send to DVLA This appears to be your responsibility and I don’t think anyone else will have notified them. I hope this is helpful - and that you continue to recover well

[CallumR85 in reply to Elecheetah]

Thanks for your help. I will get cracking with it tomorrow.

[lcd8]

I would definitely try to call them. They are not to quickest to respond at the best of times and that has probably been made worse by the pandemic. You really shouldn't drive without confirming with them even if you feel ready. This can invalidate your insurance. Good luck.

[john-boy-92]

There is a tremendous backlog at the DVLA Medical Group and they are not answering the phone, emails, and letters. There is a Bill that will propose registered medical professionals other than those registered with the GMC, can complete reports. If passed by Parliament, as an example, it would allow consultant neurologists to complete a report. However, given the present fee paid by DVLA for the reports, it is unlikely there will be a rush to do that work. It may be that you would have to be assessed at a DVLA designated disability assessment centre, like car drivers who had a stroke that reduced their horizontal visual field to less than 120 degrees. I understand from the CEO of the diability driving assessment centres, that there is upto six weeks delay in the centres. The assessment for a reduction in the visual field is a cognitive test (Rookwood Driving Battery), strength and braking reaction time, followed by a 50 minute driving assessment in an unfamiliar car on an unfamiliar route. My neighbour had encephalitis and had to learn how to walk again. His test was in the hospital where he had to count backwards from 100 in 7s, and he regained his licence even though he has some difficulty in walking.

[Skulls]

My first priority was to notify the insurers of what I thought was a “relevant fact”. At this stage and for 18 months I was misinformed by the NHS that I had suffered a stroke though, lacking any missing skull bone, I didn’t know where the blood and clots had gone… (It was only in response to a complaint that they told me I had suffered a hypoxic acquired brain injury!). My next step was to download the form to notify DVLA at which point I saw they did not require notification as I didn’t drive a PCV or another vehicle for a living. After the six weeks off the road advised by the medics (to allow the general anaesthetic to get out of my system), I was able to get behind the wheel again. When Covid arrived, I completed a SORN and later donated the old car to giveacar to fund a charity donation to BHF. I am gleeful that I no longer pay vehicle excise duty, insurance premium tax or excise duty and VAT on fuel to the government. However, I do feel a little imprisoned since I rarely go out. Having been “locked in” (blind, paralysed and unable to speak), I am just pleased to look out of the window at the wild birds and to interact once again.

[robmb]

My husband suffered a TBI last July and his discharge notes advised not to drive, fly or drink, I did print out the DVLA form once he was discharged in September but as he had no intention of driving I never sent it off, do I need to send it off before he starts to drive? Who makes the decision that he is fit to drive? Personally I don’t think he’s ready yet as still lacks concentration. We have been on holiday abroad I spoke with Salford Royal nurse who discharged him and she advised he was fine to fly. He has also had the odd half of beer here and there.