It’s now over a year since I sent my license to DVLA and after numerous completed requests for medical evidence from GP and medical assessment at my hospital I haven’t heard a thing. Anyone else had to wait so long?
RIPPER:
DVLA - THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE) - Trucknet UK
It seems I’m not alone. The delay/lack of communication by DVLA is so frustrating.
The worry is that I waste valuable time and effort revising for something that may never materialise. Even worse - I’m terrified of losing my license.
Licence revoked in May 21, received car back in Feb this year, then my Bus, C1, and my hgv provisional in June. The strikes didn’t help and I had to repeatedly chase them up. Had I not been on the phone every couple of weeks I would still not have a licence as they sent a request for medical info to the wrong address (Dr Baxter, general hospital, but there are about 5 or 6 Dr Baxter’s at the hospital). I only found out by constant chasing.
I was also phoning Dr Baxter’s secretary to check if they received the request. So get on the phone and just chase like [ZB] Ignore them saying don’t phone as it’s your licence and your livelihood they’re messing with. Don’t get nasty with them as it won’t help. Also phone whoever they were supposedly requesting info from. You need to keep tabs on what’s going on at both ends or you may never see your licence again.
What number did you ring to chase things up?
I’ve rang 0300 790 6801 a few times but the automated message says they are busy and to try again later.
Same number, the only way to get through is to speed dial repeatedly until you do. Then you may have to wait 20-40min sometimes less. You just got to keep at it. It would eat away at my talk time but needs must.
Oh and at times it could take over an hour to get through.
Finally got through after around 30 mins on hold. Apparently DVLA are waiting for final confirmation from my GP…the “good ole NHS huh!?”
Next step is to chase that GP, ask if he’s received a request for confirmation etc. If not get all the correct contact details for him/her and pass them back to the DVLA. That’s exactly what I had to do.
They kept saying they’re waiting for medical info. That request was sent to a generic address
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PaddyTheLorryDriver:
Next step is to chase that GP, ask if he’s received a request for confirmation etc. If not get all the correct contact details for him/her and pass them back to the DVLA. That’s exactly what I had to do.
That’ll be tomorrows job then. 
Rang my GP this morning and member of office staff confirmed they had received letter from DVLA for GP to complete 2 weeks ago. They assured me that this would be brought to my GP’s attention as a matter of urgency. Fingers crossed they get their fingers out!
Good stuff. Keep the pressure on, put emphasis on its your career on hold until you get it back.
Luke the lorrydriver.com guy had a real fiasco that might still be ongoing. As ever if you start writing complaint letters you might eventually get somewhere. Kind of important when it is your livelihood, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern for the DVLA it seems.
Received a request today to attend appointment with GP on Tuesday next week regarding my HGV application. I’ve no idea why he wants to see me but have a bad feeling about it. Am I over worrying?
I have a rare chronic blood condition which can cause fatigue and rare/infrequent migranous episodes these have never affected my employment including my last position as a meter reader. This is backed up by the fact that I have driven over 100,000 incident free miles over the past 5 years. I’m nevertheless apprehensive and anxious about what to say to my GP if he contests my driving proficiency in relation to my application.
Any advice on how to approach this upcoming meeting with my GP would be very much appreciated.
This whole situation is starting to get me down!!!
Received a letter from DVLA today requesting I arrange an appointment at my local hospital for an “Echocardiogram/ECG”. I attended an appointment in May 22 with the same consultant for “Excercise tolerance test” which I’m pretty certain included an “ECG”.
Sequence of events (…so far):
*19/10/21 HGV Medical
*20/10/21 Posted Application for provisional HGV license to DVLA.
*19/1/22 Completed 1st DVLA medical questionnaire.
*16/2/22 Letter from DVLA stating they had written to GP requesting medical info.
*5/4/22 Letter from DVLA stating they had written to Consultant Haematologist for medical info.
*5/4/22 Letter from DVLA requesting I arrange an ECG/Excercise tolerance test with Consultant Cardiologist at local hospital.
*3/5/22 Excercise Tolerance Test completed at local hospital.
*30/9/22 Completed 2nd DVLA Questionnaire regarding symptoms.
*30/9/22 Letter from DVLA advising they need to contact my GP.
*14/11/22 Letter from DVLA confirming they have requested further info from GP.
*6/12/22 Letter from DVLA requesting I arrange an ECG test with Consultant Cardiologist at local hospital.
I am presently under the care of my GP who I rarely see although I do receive blood tests every 3 months at my GP practice and my consultant whom I speak to briefly on the telephone once a year.
I consider myself fit & healthy, running 20km a week and a keen road cyclist being a member of my local cycling club and having completed regular weekly 50/70mile and a number of 100 mile routes in the last 12 years and believe it or not I actually cycle in the same cycling club as my GP!!!
I have also completed over 100,000 incident free driving miles in my most recent employment as a Meter reader from 2017-22.
Sounds like gross incompetence at DVLA. After the way they went on strike over nothing, everyone currently working there needs to be fired, and the place shutdown.
They should also be prosecuted for committing fraud: dailymail.co.uk/news/articl … -deal.html
Call your GP and confirm your test at the hospital was actually an ECG. It is possible that you did not get exactly what was required. If you did get what was required, you can save some time and just scream at DVLA for being incompetent 
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Thanks TruckerGuy!..explains a lot!
To update: A manager from DVLA rang me this morning and insisted I arrange another appointment at my local hospital with the Consultant I saw in May of this year to have an “Echocardiogram” (now likely to be sometime in the New Year). Both letters are identical apart from the one in May stating I had to go for an “Echocardiogram” and the one in Dec stating “Excercise/ECG”. It very much looks to me like the same procedure but the manager implied they may be different and insisted I must attend, warning if I didn’t my D-license may be in jeopardy.
I seriously considered withdrawing my HGV application altogether as I have another job and am seriously stressed out by the whole experience but now find myself in the undesirable and highly stressful situation where in order to have my Driving license returned from DVLA I have no option but to complete the entire application process.
For the first time in my life I maybe forced to use the services of my local MP if things aren’t resolved soon…really has been that bad!
Unfortunately they are different:
ECG - Electrocardiogram, they stick a load of wires on your chest and a machine prints out a graph. Can be done in combination with exercise to see how your heart reacts to exertion.
Echocardiogram - this has the wires but they also do ultrasound at the same time which allows the computer to map a 3D video of your heart pumping.