Diabetes "Driving Licence Renewal" advice needed please.

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Gary S

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Type 1
Hello,
My 3 year driving licence renewal form has been posted to me and I'm concerned. I missed my last years annual Diabetes check and think that this may affect if my driving licence is renewed and revoked by the DVLA or not. Not that it matters I suppose but for 25 years my T1 Diabetes has been kept under control, and is why I only have a consultant phone call after blood tests so I don't regularly have a wonderful Diabetes nurse to ask advice from. Does anybody have any advice for me please?
Thank you, Gary.
 
If your consultant is happy with your care and management, this should not be a problem.

We let them know who we see regarding our management, and they contact them to confirm our fitness to drive. We also give them info about our hypos.
 
Thank you for the advice and guidance, this has been a big reassurance. And a big relief also.
 
@Gary S when you say you "missed" last year's review, did you get a telephone appointment instead? If so, that it is still a review, especially of you have had your test done.
My "annual" reviews are typically 13 to 14 months aspart. One year, this was a risk for my driving license renewal. I managed to get the form sent off 364 days after my last review. When I explained this to my DSN, she said, in future, they would prioritise appointments under this situation if it occurred again.
 
I went for many years poss 30 without any reviews and have been driving for over 40 years. DVLA have never contacted any medical professional regarding my diabetes. Mainly because I have always been able to declare no disabling hypos and have hypo awareness oh and can read a number plate from the correct distance.

They didn't even bother with the neurologist last year regarding my MS.
 
The only time DVLA has ever contacted anyone about my licence renewal was after my optician told me I had cataracts and the whole getting em seen to was not only already in train, in fact I'd had one removed by then, was when I thought I ought to tell them so they then needed me to go to the test centre for a driving examiner to check I could read a number plate at whatever the distance was so asked me which was my nearest one, which I did - BUT they didn't send the the fax to the test centre until I got hold of a helpful examiner who rang them and asked them to send it 'NOW' which they then did, so he rang me back immediately and asked me to get there NOW which I did too cos it's only 5 minutes away so sorted PDQ. (Hilarious cos the car he asked me to read the reg of was the silver Peugeot C4 between the blue whatever and the gold whatever, which I replied I thought it might be better if he chose one of the others since the C4 was mine so I could tell him that anyway with my eyes closed!)

I'm still hypo aware and can still read number plates at X away but just don't often bother reading one - who does unless you need to anyway? I will check next year when renewal's due again.
 
trophywench said:
The only time DVLA has ever contacted anyone about my licence renewal was after my optician told me I had cataracts and the whole getting em seen to was not only already in train, in fact I'd had one removed by then, was when I thought I ought to tell them so they then needed me to go to the test centre for a driving examiner to check I could read a number plate at whatever the distance was so asked me which was my nearest one, which I did - BUT they didn't send the the fax to the test centre until I got hold of a helpful examiner who rang them and asked them to send it 'NOW' which they then did, so he rang me back immediately and asked me to get there NOW which I did too cos it's only 5 minutes away so sorted PDQ. (Hilarious cos the car he asked me to read the reg of was the silver Peugeot C4 between the blue whatever and the gold whatever, which I replied I thought it might be better if he chose one of the others since the C4 was mine so I could tell him that anyway with my eyes closed!)

I'm still hypo aware and can still read number plates at X away but just don't often bother reading one - who does unless you need to anyway? I will check next year when renewal's due again.
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Thank you Jenny, it's always reassuring to a fellow T1 to receive advice from you. I may be over worrying but this means a lot to me, so thank you for the advice, guidance and struggles. Kind Regards, Gary
 
helli said:
@Gary S when you say you "missed" last year's review, did you get a telephone appointment instead? If so, that it is still a review, especially of you have had your test done.
My "annual" reviews are typically 13 to 14 months aspart. One year, this was a risk for my driving license renewal. I managed to get the form sent off 364 days after my last review. When I explained this to my DSN, she said, in future, they would prioritise appointments under this situation if it occurred again.
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Hello, and thanks for replying. I did miss my appointment (it sounds like we have the same scenarios) due to illness, and because my Diabetes is well controlled I didn't overtly worry about it. Until my driving renewal came in. I believe that reading all the supportive replies, like yours, I don't have too much to worry about so I will fill in the form, keep my fingers crossed and keep doing the good control bit. (In case you didn't realise, people come here to receive guidance and wisdom from people like yourself, and without your posts, the world would be a darker place for us all.)
Kind Regards, Gary.
 
When I was diagnosed in 2013 I was put on insulin initially and had to apply for a three year licence. After three years I was sent a form to fill in, by this stage I was using only diet and exercise to control my glucose levels. The form didn't have a box for diet and exercise only, I had to draw in my own box and tick it. Since then I haven’t had to fill in the form again. There is an old post with my query about this here:

 
And I've literally just renewed mine again for yet another 3 years - took about a week from start to receiving the new plastic card in the post.
 
trophywench said:
And I've literally just renewed mine again for yet another 3 years - took about a week from start to receiving the new plastic card in the post.
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Me too. Though a bit miffed that it all had to be done on paper this time because I had to supply a new photo, whereas 3 years ago it was all done online and SO easy!
 
Fortunately since I renewed my passport in 2010 I didn't need a new photo cos I can just use the passport one - ridiculous, like I could ever drive anywhere without my glasses since I first passed my test!!
 
trophywench said:
Fortunately since I renewed my passport in 2010 I didn't need a new photo cos I can just use the passport one - ridiculous, like I could ever drive anywhere without my glasses since I first passed my test!!
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This was what annoyed me- I only renewed my passport last year, so why couldn’t they use that photo? Though it was pretty ghastly…
 
Well I did mine all online so just ticked the appropriate box or 'use passport photo' as my answer to the 'Proof of Identity' question. Hope I'm still alive in another 3 years so can still use passport, OTOH will I bother renewing licence again at 77 !
 
JJay said:
Me too. Though a bit miffed that it all had to be done on paper this time because I had to supply a new photo, whereas 3 years ago it was all done online and SO easy!
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My renewal has just come through and they want a new photo from me too 🙄 @trophywench have you never supplied a new photo then? I can’t remember when I last did but I’ve had to do it two or three times despite having a passport for all my adult life.
 
Er no, I don't believe I have ever had to supply an actual photo for my driving licence, ever since they were introduced in the UK, because the people with short term 'medical' licences did not have to change them to photo cards until their current licences expired - and I'd had to change mine - as I also did my passport even though my existing passport - on 8th July 2000, the date of my remarriage hence change of last name - so because my new passport in my new name was issued and sent to me BEFORE our date of marriage though we weren't venturing abroad until a couple of weeks after - I could tell em the new Passport number from 08.07.00 anyway. If I even bothered telling the DVLA of my change of name at that exact moment since we were living together in the same house so if a letter arrived addressed to JS instead of JC of course I'd have automatically opened it anyway!
 
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