Driving and Brain Cancer

Hello Archangel

Welcome to the community.

Its good news that your surgery has been successful. I hope you're making a swift recovery. 

I do have experience with DVLA, and unfortunately it is not positive. 

Have you actually applied to have a licence? If you returned your licence then I believe you have to apply for a new one. There are a raft of forms to fill in relating to medical conditions, including brain tumours and surgery. They will ask for medical reports from everyone involved. They insist on their forms being filled in, a letter confirming you are fit to drive is not sufficient. 

My understanding is that if you have seizures you have to be free of them for 6 months before you can have your licence back. If you have a first surgery then its a minimum of one year and depending of the type of surgery/location or if its a second surgery its normally 2 years. That said my experience of DVLA is that they are a law unto themselves. 

I suggest you call them to ask if you need to fill in any forms to get your licence back and take if from there. Keep notes of times, dates and names of everyone you speak to. Keep on the case yourself and don't wait on them to be proactive - they aren't. 

Good luck.

T

Hi Archangel

welcome. Glad to hear your surgery was successful. 

Getting your driving licence returned was something I looked into recently. My husband was diagnosed with a Grade 4 brain tumour in Sept 2020 and wanted to check if or when he could reapply. Hunting through the DVLA website wasn't easy but I found these two links which might help you:

Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

I'd advise speaking to your consultant to clarify as even if you were to submit the paperwork as he is the one who will need to give the medical report  to the DVLA. 

I appreciate that this might not be the information you were hoping for but I hope its helped. 

Macmillan Support Services also offer lots of information, support, financial guidance or just someone to listen. It’s free to call 0808 808 0000. Most services are available 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week. A wee call to the helpline might also help you clarify the position.

Stay positive. 

love n hugs

Wee Me xx

Hi Wee Me, thank you so much for your reply.  I will certainly follow the advice and links provided as I continue to research this subject.  The problem I have experienced so far is the inability to pin down a straight answer.  I wrote to the DVLA (phone calls are impossible) and they simply said that it is, as you say, dependant on the Consultant's report.  I spoke to the consultant again yesterday and he referred me back to the DVLA, saying he believed I had to wait 2 years before re-applying.  I have a slight niggle that he is afraid to give me the all clear to drive in case I crash my car and he is found negligent in some way.

All the best!

Mike

Hi TracyP,  

Thank you for your reply to my question and I agree that it appears to be a minefield.  I have written to DVLA (phoning is useless) to request my licence back but they didn't point me to any forms, chosing instead to refer me back to my consultant.  It's at that point it becomes a circular discussion because when I spoke to him yesterday he simply referred me back to the DVLA.  I'll keep trying if for no other reason than I bought a new (second hand) car, which ironically was delivered the day before the brain surgeon issued me with my 3 month initial ban.  It is now sat in my daughter's garage whilst I pay £10 each way for taxis to the hospital (no buses).

All the best,

Mike

Hi Archangel

So sorry to hear about your problems.

TracyP is correct not easy to deal with DVLA I had the same problem 2 year ago.

You will need to apply for a new licence with a form D1 which can be sent from the DVLA or collected from a post office.

Then download a health condition form from www.gov.uk/browse/driving/disability-health-condition.

Send both forms back together after the oncology doctor fill it in,   as they can get lost at the DVLA if sent apart.

Any brain operation including gamma knife require one year before you can apply for your licence.

You will then probably be sent a one year medical licence renewable each year.

Be prepared for frustration and more forms to be filled in each time.

Best of luck.

Mick.

Sorry to jump in on this discussion but I’m at the other end of this scenario. Last week I was diagnosed with a secondary brain lesion. I know I’m not allowed to drive but do I need to fill out a form somewhere for the dvla and contact my car insurance company (there’s a second named driver on my insurance)?

Hi Doggone

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis of a brain lesion.

I found this link

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/declaration-of-voluntary-surrender

for the surrender of your license. 

With regard to your driving insurance I think you may need to contact them if the insurance is in your name. I assume (but am not certain) that its a condition of insurance that you have a driving license. You would have to  find out from them if your car is still drivable by anyone, or if it needs to be transferred to the other named driver. If you are named on another policy I don't know that this is necessary. 

Kind regards

T

Hello Archsngel  I had a brain operation iniverpool and at the pre op interview with the surgeon I was told to hand in my licence. That was over 2 years ago and I still do not have it back. It is next to impossible to talk to someone at DVLA so thebonlybthingbto do is to request return of your licence using a health form available on the DVLA website. I submitted that 6 months ago and heard nothing from DVLA. I enlisted the support of my MP who has a direct line to DVLA. Amazingly I received a personal letter and a promise that my licence would be produced in 2 weeks. That was a month ago! Clearly DVLA are having a problem, my recommendation is that you grt your MP to light a fire under them.

Hello Archangel

I had mine revoked after a fit. I have not had a fit for almost a year now. I’m still waiting on my license. I hope to hear soon. 

Hi Mum of 3. Do not wait for DVLA to do something. You will be waiting a long time. Get the health form which is also a request for the return of your licence. Good luck.