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I had a big OTB in July this year. It didnt seem to do too much damage, but i ended up with a brain bleed (a subdural haematoma) which saw me admitted to hospital in October and a xouple of burr hokes drilled in my skull and the offending blood drawn out and a drain put in. After a repeat of symptoms, i was back in Stoke neuro hospital having it redrained and im now improving.
Both times on leaving the hospital my discharge paperwork says 'do not drive and inform DVLA'.
On phoning DVLA i was given the option to surrender my licence there and then or await the paperwork to be sent to me.
I elected to have the paperwork as neither i nor my partner understood what the man on the advice line was saying.
It now seems i can surrender my licence for 6mths or have a medical investigation to see if i am fit to drive. I have had no neuro symptoms despite a 9mm midline shift of my brain due to the bleed. Ive had no seizures or loss of strength or vision. My balance is fine.
Im worried if i elect the examination route that it may take longer than the 6 months standard surrender. I live in a super rural area with awful public transport and a lot of hills.
Im also concerned i havnt properly understood what happens and the website and phone helpline is really unhelpful.
Does anyone have any experience as a patient or dvla employee who can guide me?
Thanks
Ian
I didn't surrender (kickboxing injury caused a subdural that was misdiagnosed as concussion for four weeks and 1 day...by the time they operated all of my brain was in the left hand side of my head).
I didn't drive until discharged as an outpatient, then just got a note from the surgeon.
Guy I worked with surrendered his licence temporarily, went very smoothly.
When he wanted it back, however, he had a horrendous time. My advice would be not to drive until a doctor declares you medically fit and just hang on to your licence in the meantime.
This is very much one of those cases where no good deed goes unpunished.
Well done for trying to do the right thing, as long as you continue to do that you'll be fine.
My understanding is that it is better to surrender it then wait to be told. I think it means you don't have to wait to get it back. This is for epilepsy so may be different for you, and I may have it wrong. I've got another 6 months to go (hopefully).
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neurological-disorders-assessing-fitness-to-drive#subdural-haematoma.
Looks like you are required to surrender your license for 6 months
Don't listen to the usual jobsworths on this forum. I've no idea why people seem to like giving bad advice on here - it's the internet thing i think. People hidden behind their screens seem to take pride in encouraging people to do things that they wouldn't themselves.
The DVLA are a kafkaesque organisation. It will take you months or years to get your license back from them and be a very sorry dance indeed.
Follow squirrelking's advice to the letter.
I have already told the dvla as my consultant told me i had to inform them. Im slightly regretting it as i do fear it may be harder to get back, but legally and morally i didnt feel i had a choice.
I havnt yet surrendered it, but its now expected of me. Has anyone submitted to the medical examination route?
When he wanted it back, however, he had a horrendous time. My advice would be not to drive until a doctor declares you medically fit and just hang on to your licence in the meantime.
My Dad had a benign tumour removed after having a few seizures.He wasn't allowed to drive until 1 year after the last seizure IIRC. And he was in a rural location with no services in his 60s at the time.
It was an absolute nightmare getting his licence back. A lot of it was down to incompetence on the part of DVLA and also the surgeon - once the surgeon just didn't get to the form before going on holiday, then it got completed incorrectly, but before that he'd interpreted Dad's comments wrong. Then it just took frigging ages to get the paperwork back from DVLA. I don't remember the exact timeframes but he was not allowed to drive for months longer than he should have been.
My wife had a very similar injury after falling on ice, almost 2 years ago. We also live rurally and she travels to work 50 miles away by car. She surrendered her licence to the DVLA and had her right to drive revoked. All went well until her time was up with no medical problems. What then ensued was a nightmare. No email or contact details, forms filled in and then chased up weeks later, only to find that half the form had arrived and we had to do it all again. Contact could be made only via post or fax, chasing them up required calling a number that was almost never answered.
We got there in the end after chasing via MP, her employer (NHS), local GP plus a few other organisations that I can't remember. Took an extra 2 months on top of the 6 month revocation. Get the forms in early and then keep hassling them!
How are you medically? Headaches, fatigue, memory loss? Would be interested to compare to my wife...
It now seems i can surrender my licence for 6mths or have a medical investigation to see if i am fit to drive.
Speak to your GP about the latter - the NHS do driving assessments to clarify whether you're fit to drive and will inform the DVLA accordingly. It can take a while to get an appointment but it'll take longer if you dont make it
I had to do one following nerve damage / neuropathy, that had no clear cause so the test was to prove theres no physical or cognitive bar to driving. I was quite lucky to get a cancelation so didnt have to wait overly long for it. Mine was more to determine physical ability as the nerve problems effected both legs, but because the cause wasn't clear it was also needed to rule out there weren't symptoms further neurological issues
Its quite an interesting exercise - you do the Trump 'Person Woman Man Camera TV' cognitive test, a bit of a physical and time in a driving simulator that tests things like eye sight and reaction speed and thinks like how quick and how hard you can press the brake pedal.
Its a useful exercise - people who drive feel very much entitled to do so and will convince themselves, even when quite incapacitate, that they are more capable than they really are. But if you're fit to drive then it doesn't hurt to prove to yourself that you are.
Don't forget the DVLA aren't the only stakeholder in terms of you driving with any medical condition - your insurers need to be informed too. I've found both the be really quite flexible and understanding.
I thought the DVLA advice for medical professionals ( https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1084397/assessing-fitness-to-drive-may-2022.pdf) might be useful. But it’s not. It says:
Traumatic subdural haematoma
Must not drive and must notify DVLA.
At least 6 months of driving.
I’ve not seen ‘at least’ (6 months) being used in the guidelines. It’s obviously very vague. I would perhaps assume if you had relatively few / minor symptoms that you could return to driving after just 6 months, but it’s not my area, so my opinion carries no weight.
It also says this under ‘Traumatic brain injury’ which I imagine they’re using as an umbrella term that includes SDH.
Must not drive but may need to notify DVLA.
Relicensing may be considered usually after 6 to 12 months dependent on features such as seizures, post-traumatic amnesia more than 24 hours, dural tear, haematoma and/or contusions seen on CT imaging.
There will need to have been satisfactory clinical recovery and in particular
no visual field defects or cognitive impairment likely to affect safe driving.
Having said all of that, I presume there’s a reason you needed repeat surgery and there’s presumably a risk of a recurrence that (if unidentified) could affect your ability to drive without you necessarily realising. So, as a ‘vulnerable’ road user, I’m probably ok with you having to jump through some hoops.
That said, I have sympathy with anyone trying to navigate the DVLA’s opaque systems. Especially those who have a brain injury 😛 You may find that your consultant can tell you that you’re ok to drive before the DVLA gets its act together.
No experience, although I have been through a medical process where I could drive while DVLA considered my renewal
Obviously, don't drive while that is current medical advice
Copy your licence and print out a current online record https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
Have you been told to stop driving and surrender your licence by DVLA?
The six-month surrender will surely be subject to medical advice/assessment. You won't simply get your licence back in six months; you need to be fit to drive so start the medical process sooner rather than later
Follow the hospital discharge letter up with the specialist to make sure that it isn't an error. The discharge letter is open-ended, ask them to be more specific on the next steps and a timeline
The person that you spoke to at DVLA probably won't be a medical expert and you can appeal any decision made by them https://www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions/what-dvla-will-decide
EDIT to add (too late) There are different levels of subdural haematoma. OTB is possibly acute/traumatic (IANAD) and at least six months off driving. Lesser forms are "only" six months off, which is why you need more clarity from the specialist
A lot of it was down to incompetence on the part of DVLA and also the surgeon – once the surgeon just didn’t get to the form before going on holiday, then it got completed incorrectly, but before that he’d interpreted Dad’s comments wrong
Not sure you can call the surgeon incompetent for allegedly misinterpreting your dad's comments. It is a shame that your dad was inconvenienced.
Doing admin for DVLA is a billable extra for the surgeon and, reasonably, lower down the list than more time in theatre or taking a holiday. While the DVLA pays for the assessment it still involves forms and time https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/fees/fees-for-doctors-services/fees-for-driver-licensing-and-the-dvla
This gov.uk blurb on fitness to drive may reassure the OP - if they can make sense of it. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/general-information-assessing-fitness-to-drive
And this extra blurb guides the overburdened medical professionals https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assessing-fitness-to-drive-a-guide-for-medical-professionals
Thanks for your input everyone.
Im more than happy that the dvla have to be sure that i am fit to drive. I appreciate driving isnt a right.
I wasnt expecting such negative tales about the return of my licence, but i shall arm myself with all the links and info.
Regards
Ian
Coincidentally, I had an appointment with my consultant yesterday. He said I could re apply for mine 8 weeks before the 1 year anniversary of my last 'event', and that the backlog at DVLA isn't as bad as it was, so things may be better.
I had my licence revoked following a collapse at home - I'm type 1 diabetic. Turns out my awareness of hypoglycemia had deteriorated below the threshold for driving. the consultant said she was compelled to write to DVLA to inform them. I accepted this and my licence was suspended. It was an unbelievable pain to get it back. I used the document that someone else has linked to here that lays out what the criteria is for getting your licence back which i met after 6 moths, but took quite qa qhile longer to get the licence back.
this was really useful. the conclusion i came to was that DVLA need to have medical professional give written support for your licence to be given back. they will not take you on your word....the want to read it (in a letter) from a doctor. Therefore make sure you are talking with your specialist doctors / nurses etc when you need their support to get driving again.
It is a pain in the ar%e to loose your licence but its for a reason. And if you arent safe to drive then its best not to risk causing harm to someone else in the car. Good luck with the recovery, and i hope you are back to driving again as soon as possible.