DVLA Medical Declaration Form

Question

by Hamsquatch - 2017-03-11 00:03:15

Not to hijack this post, but are pacemaker/icd people's suppose to report their device to auto insurance providers? They already get enough money.

UK Laws

by Pacemum - 2017-03-11 05:50:15

Others on the site may know the laws in other countries and are welcome to add them to the post if they wish.

My post relates to UK laws I am unsure what the laws/rules are in other countries.

In the UK anyone applying for their first licence or has an existing licence must inform our driving lience authority that they have a pacemaker or ICD. 

You then have to complete a medical declaration form and allow the Driving & Vehicle Licensing Agency authority to contact your doctor and consultant and give authority for them to access your medical records.  They will then confirm everything you have declared on the form.  The form also includes a declaration for pacemakers were you have to agree to attend regular checks for the pacemaker, accept advice of doctor/cardiologist and notify the DVLA if you suffer any sudden attacks of giddiness/fainting or blackouts or anything else which may affect safe driving.  Providing you have done this the DVLA will issue or let your licence continue subject to your adhering to the above.   In the UK you must wait 1 week after implant of a pacemaker before driving any car and 6 weeks before driving a bus or lorry.   Anyone with an ICD is not allowed to drive a car for 6 months after implant and is immediately restricted from driving a bus or lorry. 

When applying for insurance you then have to declare the condition and state DVLA aware - no restrictions or DVLA aware - restrictions.  Pacemakers should be able to tick DVLA aware - no restrictions.   However, if you have not made the declaration and not informed your insurers this may void any insurance you apply for.

Sorry for the long post it is just so that those in other countries understand the UK laws.

The reason for my original post is that I know that for most insurance purposes you have to declare any medical conditions over your lifetime.  Most insurance companies look for any little reason not to pay out.  Therefore the date of implant may be different for the DVLA to that for the insurance companies even though you may not have been old enough to drive when you had your first implant.

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Make your PM status clear on the form

by IAN MC - 2017-03-11 06:12:51

Hi Pacemum    In answer to your original question :-

- I would give the date of the last box-change

-  In the sentence afterwards which asks " Have dizziness / fainting attacks been controlled since the PM was implanted  ? "   . Assuming that they  have , you will obviously give a " yes" answer.

Why not WRITE ON THE FORM  , that you ( or the person applying ) is now on your 2nd or 3rd pacemaker and have not experienced dizzyness/ fainting for x years ; x being the total number of years that you have had a PM .  

The whole purpose of the exercise is to convince the DVLA that you will not be a danger to yourself and other road-users so leave them in no doubt that this is the case.

The drivers that REALLY  worry me are the ones that the DVLA don't know about ...  the  dizzy fainters who are living with their symptoms and are putting off having a PM.

Happy driving

Ian   ( also in the UK )

Thanks Ian

by Pacemum - 2017-03-11 07:25:32

It is for my daughters first licence.  We had to go through the long list of cardiovascular conditions. Fortunately, as other conditions are asymptomatic, the pacemaker is the only one we have to declare.

Hate filling in these forms.

I will follow your advice and consider adding to the DVLA form.

It does mean that shortly there will be another learner driver on the road.