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Dvla

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christine.h

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I had to renew my licence as my 3years was up had a letter today to say I need to have a medical is this with your GP or theirs I have to phone my GP in 7 days my eyesight is ok and since being on insulin has improved
 
christine.h said:
I had to renew my licence as my 3years was up had a letter today to say I need to have a medical is this with your GP or theirs I have to phone my GP in 7 days my eyesight is ok and since being on insulin has improved
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Surely the letter tells you who you see? :confused:
 
letter is addressed to my GP as well as he filled the form in he does not like me as I am a complex patient
 
christine.h said:
letter is addressed to my GP as well as he filled the form in he does not like me as I am a complex patient
Click to expand...

Well your GP will do it then.

In all the years I have been driving I have never had a medical for my driving licence nor has my gp filled in any of the forms,I just tick the right boxes and hope for the best 🙂
 
It must be to do with either having an additional condition or possibly a complication of diabetes - unless of course you drive a minibus/vehicle 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, have applied for a Category C1 or D1 and he has to complete a Medical Report D4 for you - otherwise we don't have to have any medical.
 
Likewise, never had any medicals.

Only other thought is if your control is considered outside of the normal criteria or you have complications.

Rob
 
I've just renewed mine for the first time (after 3 yrs since starting on insulin) and my GP had to fill in a form for the DVLA (don't know what they have to fill in). Could it be something that your GP has indicated that they want checking?( like number of hypos?)
 
See - I never had that, because I was diabetic when I got my provisional!
 
I've never had that, I have had additional forms to fill in once, but never been asked to have a medical.
 
I've just had mine back with no problems got the full three years. I think they just have to fill in a form and send it back in. Do you have any complications?

Marc
 
I have no compications but did put I have had a couple of hypos with no medical help I wonder what the GP put on the form I never see him and always go for my routine check ups and my control is good hospital and GP who deals with the diabetics say so quite shocked actually of course the GP gets extra payment he is the sort that would want this, he refused my blue badge application and the hospital I was under had to write to him he just looks at you, also another hospital I am under had to write as he put me on the wrong meds and they had to explain why alas he seems to be the one who signs my prescriptions shoul I phone and ask why the decision for a medical
 
I would ask why Christine, given that none of our other members seem to have required a medical. It's possible that they have jumped on the information about hypos and want assurances from your doctor that your control is good and you wouldn't represent a risk, but given what you have just said about your doctor it would seem he is not the best person to make any kind of assessment, and I would call the DSN at the hospital to see if they can do the medical.
 
christine.h said:
I have no compications but did put I have had a couple of hypos with no medical help
Click to expand...

Ah there you go then, best not to mention any hypo's unless you need medical help.
There is no type 1 diabetic on earth who has never had a hypo. But now a days the DVLA seems to go into overdrive as soon as they see the wod hypo 😡
 
I've just filled in the new style forms. New questions make it easy to distinguish between low level 'normal' dips with a separate question about how many (if any) that need assistance of others. There's also a question where you 'rank' your hypo awareness.
 
I have a recent copy that was sent to me from the hospital a copy was also sent to the Doctor who sees the diabetics and did my referal i was seen on the 12th.Jan it reads I was pleased to review CHristine in the DIabetes Clinic today, she is managing her diabetes very wellwith the use of the Expert meter.Today Christine reported a reaction to her Levemir injections, this was reviewed by one of our DSN who suggested changing to Lantus
Should I send a copy by fax to DVLA
 
Try speaking to the Medical Branch Christine - though I couldn't get through on Friday myself.

They do seem to be making an awful pig's breakfast of these renewals at the moment though. It's comforting really that it isn't just one of us. (Mine is just a small issue - in that they will revoke my licence on 3rd Feb next unless I send my medical questionnaire and consent form back to them pdq. And they enclose a photocopied page from a medical questionnaire - which has my handwriting and case number, name and date of birth, all over it!)
 
Mine has just been renewed for another 3 years. I had submitted a 3 week diary of blood glucose records, food, activity etc to the resistrar I saw at my annual review, which she asked if she could keep in my file, and I agreed. In tha past, I have always mentioned at annual review when my driving licence is up for renewal and mention lack of problems.

I was careful to record beside any readings below 4.0mmol/l that I ate sweets without needing any help from anyone - on one night, partner didn't even stir, so I stated that. I also recorded any readings before driving. So, I can only conclude that detailed records are useful for hospital doctors (or GPs) to give an accurate assessment of safety when asked by DVLA.

And I always keep a photocopy of all forms I send to DVLA and get a certificate of posting envelope to DVLA.
 
I would imagine that they have to justify signing you off as fit to drive if anything should go wrong. So giving them evidence to back up their assessment is certainly a good idea. It pushes the weight of responsibility from the doctor to the individual patient, which is how it should be.

Rob
 
I have to renew my licence every 3 years, but I've never had to have a medical (so far).

What does the letter say you need to have it for??
 
Before I returned to hospital clinics (after total uselessness at time of diagnosis, then moving around a lot), I had 2 medicals (three years apart, in approx 1999 & 2002, I think) with my GP, as I wasn't having annual reviews anywhere - he checked things like sight (despite me having annual eye checks at opticians), feet sensation & circulation, asked me about blood glucose readings etc. Then, sent off findings to DVLA and then DVLA sent back a new 3 year licence.

So, lack of a statement from a person who does your annual reviews might be a reason for a GP to be asked to do a medical. At least DVLA, not patient, pays for this examination (for car driving).
 
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