Nails out. Nasty wounds - BUT A LOT OF SATISFACTION.
Driving licence restored last Thursday morning by surprise post with letter dated 02.09.08. - telling me I had successfully reapplied on the basis I had been free of dependency on alcohol for six months. This licence to run from this month. Letter also said: “Please let us know urgently what you intend to do about your appeal (set for 9th September).
My concerns: a) my appeal is against the original decision - that it was wrong and based on flimsy, flimsy evidence. b) that I didn’t know if I withdrew the appeal, if that would prejudice a referral to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
Friday morning, rang the Parliamentary Ombudsmans Office: Clear advice that they would expect me to go through any means of appeal first and then, although they couldn’t effect any result of that appeal, I could then pursue a complaint about maladministration.
Rang DVLA and told them appeal would go ahead.
Saturday morning, got a letter from Dr Sheppard, Medical Adviser, DVLA, also dated 02.09.08. virtually admitting her original decision was wrong and I could retain my licence as if nothing happened. Took a copy of this to the Court Monday lunchtime.
Monday late afternoon - urgent phone call from the Court telling me a DVLA doctor and a Barrister were on their way here to defend my appeal. The phone call was urgent because THE MEDICAL APPEALS SECTION WHO HAD ORGANISED THE DOCTOR AND BARRISTER HADN’T KNOWN ANYTHING ABOUT DR SHEPPARD’S LETTER!!!
This morning: coincidentally, phone call from BBC Watchdog (I had e mailed them at the beginning of all this and had forgotten it). Filled them in with everything. Any programme will depend on enough people with like complaints.
This afternoon: appeal upheld in Court (their barrister actually quite a nice guy). Next step formal complaint with a view to a referral to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
Now if I had been a 70 year old who wasn’t impervious to corporate bullying and who hadn’t a little knowledge of how, why and when in social justice, I’d have been left a shattered wreck and a prisoner in my own home.
WHEN YOU THINK, AND WE NEVER DO ABOUT THESE SORT OF ESOTERIC EVENTS, TO PERSECUTE A 70 YEAR OLD AND DEPRIVE HER/HIM OF LIBERTY BASED ON A TICK BOX ON A FORM IN THIS WAY IS GROSSLY KAFKAESQUE. THE MESSAGE IS:
If your GP asks you about drink - at a diabetic clinic, for example, the dialogue would go something like:
”Do you smoke?“
”Not since 1985.“
”Do you drink?“
”Yes - and as I’m now diabetic I need to cut down - it’s over the recommended healthy limit of 28 units a week.“
BE VERY CAREFUL!!! DVLA will send you a medical questionnaire with a section where you give permission for an examination of your medical records. Should you refuse this what would they do????
Give your permission and they will send your GP a two page form with yes and no boxes to tick. and GPs not being specialists, it is the easiest thing in the world for them to tick the wrong box.
This is DVLA’s version of ”Medical Inquiries.“
Driving licence restored last Thursday morning by surprise post with letter dated 02.09.08. - telling me I had successfully reapplied on the basis I had been free of dependency on alcohol for six months. This licence to run from this month. Letter also said: “Please let us know urgently what you intend to do about your appeal (set for 9th September).
My concerns: a) my appeal is against the original decision - that it was wrong and based on flimsy, flimsy evidence. b) that I didn’t know if I withdrew the appeal, if that would prejudice a referral to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
Friday morning, rang the Parliamentary Ombudsmans Office: Clear advice that they would expect me to go through any means of appeal first and then, although they couldn’t effect any result of that appeal, I could then pursue a complaint about maladministration.
Rang DVLA and told them appeal would go ahead.
Saturday morning, got a letter from Dr Sheppard, Medical Adviser, DVLA, also dated 02.09.08. virtually admitting her original decision was wrong and I could retain my licence as if nothing happened. Took a copy of this to the Court Monday lunchtime.
Monday late afternoon - urgent phone call from the Court telling me a DVLA doctor and a Barrister were on their way here to defend my appeal. The phone call was urgent because THE MEDICAL APPEALS SECTION WHO HAD ORGANISED THE DOCTOR AND BARRISTER HADN’T KNOWN ANYTHING ABOUT DR SHEPPARD’S LETTER!!!
This morning: coincidentally, phone call from BBC Watchdog (I had e mailed them at the beginning of all this and had forgotten it). Filled them in with everything. Any programme will depend on enough people with like complaints.
This afternoon: appeal upheld in Court (their barrister actually quite a nice guy). Next step formal complaint with a view to a referral to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
Now if I had been a 70 year old who wasn’t impervious to corporate bullying and who hadn’t a little knowledge of how, why and when in social justice, I’d have been left a shattered wreck and a prisoner in my own home.
WHEN YOU THINK, AND WE NEVER DO ABOUT THESE SORT OF ESOTERIC EVENTS, TO PERSECUTE A 70 YEAR OLD AND DEPRIVE HER/HIM OF LIBERTY BASED ON A TICK BOX ON A FORM IN THIS WAY IS GROSSLY KAFKAESQUE. THE MESSAGE IS:
If your GP asks you about drink - at a diabetic clinic, for example, the dialogue would go something like:
”Do you smoke?“
”Not since 1985.“
”Do you drink?“
”Yes - and as I’m now diabetic I need to cut down - it’s over the recommended healthy limit of 28 units a week.“
BE VERY CAREFUL!!! DVLA will send you a medical questionnaire with a section where you give permission for an examination of your medical records. Should you refuse this what would they do????
Give your permission and they will send your GP a two page form with yes and no boxes to tick. and GPs not being specialists, it is the easiest thing in the world for them to tick the wrong box.
This is DVLA’s version of ”Medical Inquiries.“
Comments
God knows ...
But glad, finally, that not only have you got you license back but that those who made the mistakes are acknowledging the mistakes they made.
Hope the BBC picks up on it. Sure you aren't the only one who has been done down by the system.
Happy motoring x