Well today after notifying dvla 3 months ago about my ms diagnosis I have been told I need to go for an eye test. Should be ok, as the optic neuritis cleared up nearly a year and half ago. What I find ironic is when I had vision symptoms I was told I didn’t have to notify anyone and I was allowed to keep driving (one eye only effected). Hey ho I guess it’s a free eye test. Anyone else had this.
i never had to have an eye test because i never had ON.
carole x
I was sent a form asking me about my eyesight probs, as it was only an issue at the beginning, cleared up completely, I but n/a to all the questions on the form then wrote on it that I had no vision issues. I was not asked to have an eye sight test. I guess that it depends what the medical people put on there forms.
‘But’ = ‘put’. Lol
Yeah, I had to do an eye test for the dvla. Was asked to go to a test centre and read a number plate from 20m away. I was asked to go because during an eye test 6 years previously I complained of double vision when looking to the extreme right…oh and a prescription of modafinil (usually prescribed to people with narcolepsy), looking at the questionnaire I had to answer they had to check I wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel. Any more questions, ask away.
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Thanks for your answers. Well trotted off to spec savers (who do the eye sight tests on behalf of DVLA) and the optician said nothing wrong with my vision now (as I already knew!) anyhow she said that dvla have even sent people to her whose condition doesn’t effect their driving! Apparently should hear from them in another 6 to 8 weeks. I shall treasure my full licence while it lasts.
I had to notify DVLA in northern Ireland and was sent a report for my gp and optician to fill out. I then received a letter from disability action i have to complete a driving assesment before they will make a descision on my license
I hope that’s not the next letter! Good luck.
Seems most people have to do it here. But it’s more of an assesment to see if you need any adaptations etc and it’s carried out by a disability charity it’s to help keep people driving not to take there licenses away. But it’s a waiting list of 5 months
Mhmm waiting seems to be a common theme. At the moment I can drive okay without any aids. Good luck with the wait and assessment.
i don’t know if i need to contact dvla i did ask my MS nurse and she said not too. I’m seeing my neurologist on the 8th Jan. should i ask him. i was being told by someone on Facebook that i need to tell them got quite upset with me so i left the group. I’m so confused about what to do at the moment. i was only diagnosed 6 months ago. cant seem to get my head round it. who else feels like this x
Sa worrier, if you chose to not inform your car insurance & dvla, you will be uninsured !!! In the event that a silly person drives into you. If you have been Dignosesed.
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I would definitely advise informing the DVLA and your insurance company if you have received a diagnosis of MS. The DVLA will send you a couple of forms to fill in. You will probably be issued with a 3 year licence from now on which seems pretty standard for people with MS. The diagnosis shouldn’t affect your insurance premiums at all - they just need to know.
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It’s actually a legal requirement to notify DVLA and if they find out you haven’t it’s a 1000 pound fine, if you go on the dvla website there is a long list of notifable medical conditions. Not worth running the risk, as others have said your insurance company will also not cover you in the event of an accident. Not sure on your occupation but for some job roles you need to tell your employer - I think it’s mainly the army. But somewhere on the MS Society website it tells you what you must do after diagnosis. I’m surprised the MS Nurse didn’t advice you.
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I informed the DVLA about my ms after seeing my consultant in Sept/Oct 2017, I filled in all the forms and allowed them access to my medical history, they apparently didn’t get a reply from my consultant, I rang the hospital and was told that they would respond to DVLA as soon as they could.I then received a letter from DVLA in January 2018 saying that I had to see my doctor to fill a DVLA form within six weeks, not a problem except that I was in Southern Spain, I explained this but was told that if I didn’t attend within the time limit my licence would be revoked! A lot of expence later I went for my 5 min appointment at my doctors, has anyone else had this terrible responce from the DVLA and is it possible to claim any of my expences back?
I informed the DVLA 3 weeks ago that my condition had changed, within a week I had a letter back saying that I had been put on a section 88 until my consultant had written back to them with details of my condition.
I have a follow appointment with my consultant in 3 weeks after I had a relapse so I’m hoping he hasn’t replied back to the DVLA yet until I can discuss with him how my MS doesn’t really impact on my driving.
Its crazy really, I can drive all day for miles and mile and no have issues what so ever, but as soon as I get out of the car and walk anything more than 20- 30 mtrs and I start to really struggle, sit back down in the car and I can drive again like there is nothing wrong with me.
I’m the same on an exercise bike, I can peddle for ever, but get off the bike and try walking around the house and I can hardly lift my legs, sit back on the bike and I can carry on peddling.
Physio explained to me that the main muscles that help us walk are the hip flexors, so its these muscles that are most effected by my MS.
We dont really use the hip flexors much when driving, only a little bit perhaps to pull the foot up for the clutch, (in a manual).
And the same for exercise bikes, its more calf and thigh muscles that are used on bikes.
Now a stepper exercise machine is completely different as each step needs leg lift, ie hip flexors muscles to lift the legs, I find a stepper very difficult to use,
Anyway, I’m hoping my consultant can explain this in his reply to the DVLA.
If the DVLA think I need a driving assessment or eye tests then I’m fully prepared to do whatever it takes to hold onto my licence.
All the DVLA really want is for someone like your GP or consultant to authorise that you’re fit to drive, it take’s the legal side of things away from then I guess.
For what it’s worth when I informed my car insurance company about the MS it made no difference at all to my premium.
Again as long as the DVLA are aware and have issued you a licence it takes all legal liabilities away from the insurance company.
Hi Chris. Yes. I had to have the eye test within 4 weeks otherwise the licence would be revoked. I noted it actually said would rather than may as the other chasing up Neuro letters said. It did pxxx me off a bit as it’s four weeks after date on their letter and I got it just before Xmas. So, some people could have gone on hols and come back to find they had no licence.
I don’t think you would get any money back to be honest as it’s a legal duty to comply, or if you don’t goodbye licence.
It really annoys me even more now when I read of people who haven’t told dvla about their conditions and seem to get away with it and screw other people’s lives up when they cause accidents.
Anyhow, I got my three year licence in the end.
Funny this thread has been resurrected as I actually got a letter from dvla the other day saying I had been selected at random to help them improve their procedures. I phoned them up and said I would do it, even thou it means a half day AL off work, as I had a few issues. The person on the phone actually seemed quite pleased that I was able to highlight some things. So it’s for an hour next week, I know the time but they haven’t told me where yet!
Hi Chatterbox. It’s the attitude of the DVLA that really annoys me,I rang from Spain explaining that I would be back in the UK early March and would see my doctor on my return, only to be told that I wouldn’t have a driving licence if the appointment hadn’t been made within the six weeks from when they sent the letter, don’t quite know how I would have stood regarding the letter if it hadn’t been opened, as I’ve been in Spain since December!
There doesn’t seem to be any reasoning with them. The impression I got was “not my problem”.
I know. I think I will raise it. I mean you drive for months while they wait for a Neuro to fill in the form and then spring things on you at short notice. I’m not sure where people stand if they haven’t received the letter as either it’s gone astray or they are away.
Thank you, having to arrange flights, collection to and from airports at such short notice and not to mention the cost of the whole exercise, not what I wanted to do whilst on holiday!