Exceptional Cirmcumstances Driving Test

Life after stroke Driving
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Good Morning

I feel like I am going around in circles trying to get my dad a Drivin assessment

No one and I mean no one is willing to help me especially his GP they have basically written him off due to his visual field loss sayin they wouldn’t want him on the road!!! I said to the GP it isn’t down to you to decide you just have to say you he has adapted to his visual field loss which he has and then the assessment driving test will decide if they think he is safe on the road or not

I have tried to contact my fathers consultant but his secretary said this is no something he can do

I have tried to get an OT to do this but because he is no longer under one only way I can get this is to pay over £900 for a private one (what I was quoted)

I’m going out of my mind and all the while my father keeps asking me if I have done anything yet

I just want him to have an assessment and if they say no you can’t drive he will accept that but what he won’t accept is not even being given the chance to try

Any help would be appreciated at this point

Thanks in advance

Anna

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Have you tried asking for an ophthalmology appointment? They would be able to test his vision to see if he would meet the standard. Then maybe the GP would do the referral for the assessment. Failing that speak to the DVLA & see if they can offer any suggestions.

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Update (@Annabirks dont give up, it’s just a very long process and you are up against the DVLA who seem to have an infinite number of ways to ask you for information you have already provided them!)

I requested to have the exceptional case criteria applied in July 2025 (when I became eligible 12 months after the stroke), with a covering letter addressing all of the points. After filling out forms and sending them back, only to get more forms to fill out in return-which were completed and sent back immediately-I had my licence revoked in December. Which was fine, as I surrendered it a year ago anyway. I then sent a further response a month ago, bullet pointing each of the exceptional case criteria and how I met them, and attached letters from stroke clinic and ophthalmology (both from 2024!) supporting this, and plus a new letter from my GP clarifying in very clear terms even the DVLA should be able to understand, the ‘full functional adaptation’ element. I even used a highlighter to highlight the relevant parts of the letters from ophthalmology and the stroke consultant!

I’ve had a reply today with yet another form, asking for the information I have already provided multiple times over the last 7 months :man_facepalming::joy:. On the bright side, it is the EXCVIS form which I suppose means progress….it doesn’t make it any less frustrating though, especially when it’s the same information that has been provided over and over again, verbatim-with supporting evidence.

Apologies for the rant. Needed to get it off my chest and a) lots of people here understand and b) it might help someone going through the same seemingly endless cycle of forms!

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Hi Jong thank you for the encouragement. Im trying to find out the best way of starting what I know will be the usual long winded complicated mess.

Cheers

RICH

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I know its Scotland, im from London, but the info is helpful, I hope

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@Vanhalen thanks, hopefully I’m right at the tail end of that for now, but that page was probably the clearest, most concise version of the process and what to expect I’ve encountered-should be helpful for anyone new who comes across this thread :+1:

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The problem starts with the DVLA Medical Group not employing Consultant Opthalmists in the section dealing with vision. Instead they use non-medical administrators working to written instructions. There is a Secretary of State expert group who advise the DVLA, but the DVLA are not required to take their advice. The DVLA complaints staff are also non-medical, who in one instance made a statement that a compliant visual field can return more than 12 months after the stroke that caused it, but wrote that the DVLA did not have evidence to support that. Additionally, the alleged recovery 12 months later contradicted a written statement from a prominent expert on stroke-related vision loss, that recovery was “very unlikely”. In 2022, the DVLA said that I could not reapply for a PDAL and assessment as an exceptional case; I could only apply as someone with a compliant visual field.
My submitted evidence was two letters from my registered GP practice, written evidence from a member of the Secretary of State advisory group on vision and driving, and compliance certificates from a Council parks dept who had observed me using hedgecutters and strimmers in an open public park. The DVLA have not accepted that evidence. I have this case with the PHSO, but this is now in the fourth year, although the MP who submitted my case, is a senior minister in the Cabinet.

I started my complaint with the DVLA in 2018!

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I live in Peterculter, so \Westhill would be very handy for me. I’m about to start the process of re-applying for my licence, but as I cannot use my left arm at all will need an adapted car, did you use local resources to prepare for your assessment - any tips please ?

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My stroke just affected my eyesight, so not sure about the exact procedure you will follow. But the car I was assessed in was kitted out to deal with adaptions that you may require.

The process for me with the DVLA took about 8 months. A year after my stroke I took the DVLA Exceptional circumstances form to my Dr and explained why I thought I had adapted to my condition. She agreed to fill in and sign the form. I gather from the forum this initial step can be the most difficult as some DRs etc. fear the DVLA, but I explained ultimately they (the DVLA) make the decision based on all information obtained.

After sending off the initial form it was a month or more before I heard back from the DVLA medical team, with more general health forms to fill in, and due to my responses these went backwards and forwards over the next 3 or 4 months. You have to be patient with them as they are dealing with large numbers of cases with not enough people!

Eventually they sent me the forms to complete to apply for a “medical provisional driving license” which is similar to an ordinary provisional but has time limitations. At this time you select the Assessment center you want use from their approved list (for us its Edinburgh or Glasgow). I initially selected Edinburgh as its closest, but on further investigation Glasgow has an outreach center in Westhill so I changed to Glasgow. Details are:

DriveAbility Scotland
Brook Street Business Hub, Ground Floor, Suite 1, Glasgow, G40 3AP

0141 648 8470
info@driveabilityscotland.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/DriveAbilityScot/

I suggest phoning them and having a chat, they were very friendly and helpful. Please be aware they only run assessment in Westhill about 4 days a month.

Once I received my medical provisional license (it appeared in my DVLA account about 2 weeks before it arrive through the post but you have to have the letter they post out to you for it to be valid) I was out getting driving practice each day for the 5 weeks up to my assessment. I also had two hours of instructor driving lessons.

The assessment lasts just over two hours, with the first half our doing some basic cognitive tests and that I could move my foot to control an automatic car. The I had about 1.5 hours driving around Westhill and out to the Park and Ride at The airport to check my ability on as many road types as possible. They wont tell you the outcome of the assessment, but they make sure you are stress free as possible and they look after you.

I had to wait just over 2 weeks for the DVLA decision to give me my license back.

I’m not sure how much this will help you as my stroke resulted in just loss of some close peripheral vision on the left side in both eyes.

I hope it all works out for you. The main thing is to be patient and stay positive. It takes time to work through the process.

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Very helpful!

Thanks

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Hi, @scotalad2 I have hemonopia left side as well affecting both eyes in 2020, I have not got the courage to go for the assessment but I have had support from my consultant and passed 3 out of 5 of the cognitive assessments, but not wanted to take it any further for fear of being told no. Just wondered how you cope with driving and how much of your vision is missing mine is pretty much half of each eye. :blush:

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I have hemonopia left side as well affecting both eyes in 2020, I have not got the courage to go for the assessment but I have had support from my consultant and passed 3 out of 5 of the cognitive assessments, but not wanted to take it any further for fear of being told no. Just wondered how you cope with driving and how much of your vision is missing mine is pretty much half of each eye. :blush:

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Hi

My father also has left side visual field loss and he has been told he won’t be able to get his license back unless it improves which it isn’t going to as it has been a couple of years now.

I have tried literally everything, tried to apply under the exceptional circumstances too however they require a GP to state he is medically fit to drive and because of his vision loss the GP will just not do it

It’s been so frustrating

I wish you all the best if you do apply and please if you manage to get an assessment can you please contact me x

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Hi, I was lucky my gp wrote a letter saying she would recommend it have a chance to do an assessment, as she said the people doing the driving assessment will be very thorough in thier assessment and she was just agreeing that I met the criteria for exceptional cases rule, it had been the sightloss was stable for a year, it was non progressive and I had sight in both eyes.. even with hemonopia. Also got the stroke nurse to write a report for me, hope that helps a bit

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Your father has to prove adaption though eye scanning. Firstly can he navigate busy streets and supermarkets without bumping into people, the more he does this the better. Also I was riding my bike prior to speaking to my Dr. Its all about training the brain to scan. The Dr should be told that the DVLA make the final decision. The idea of the exceptional circumstances is that your condition may not have gone back to normal but you can function normally through adaption (in this case eye scanning). I believe other people on this forum where their Dr has been reluctant have used occupational health to come and asses how the patient deals with everyday living in the house.

I put a lot of effort in getting in crowded situations and riding my bike, throwing and catching balls etc. to ensure I was eye scanning. I was also convincing my self that I would be safe to get driving again.

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Elle1 I have far peripheral vision but have patchy loss which is common at about 10 O clock. When I had the full DVLA field of vision test I asked to see the plots, which matched with where I thought it was. When I applied with the form signed and stamped by the Dr I sent a letter with more details of how I was eye scanning safely: dealing with crowds in the city center and shops without bumping into people, riding my bike through traffic, playing catch with a tennis ball etc. I also sat in the front of any car I was travelling in, so as to get used to eye scanning at speed.

Don’t wait to long as the longer you leave it the more you will forget about driving. I bought some books on learning to drive but just skim read them as I used to drive lot here in the UK and abroad. STAY POSITIVE! But be realistic. Hopefully you will eventually get a medical provisional issued which will give you about a month to get back into driving. Have driving lessons and get as many hours of driving in as you can.

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Hi I have lost about half of peripheral vision on the dvla test so cant anything from about 11 oclock, how do you cope driving ? Do you have to scan all the time? Looking to the left? Thanks for your help

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Hi

It is my father who has lost his left side vision so they won’t allow hIm to take his driving assessment

He has adapted to his vision loss on familiar surroundings I.e in the home or places he’s regularly visited his whole life however in new places he likes to walk behind one of us or have one of us at his left side so he doesn’t bump into things or people bump into him

It must be so difficult for him and you too :disappointed_face:

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The DVLA Medical Group can be a nightmare to deal with. My stroke caused right-side homonymous hemianopia. I applied for an exceptional case disability assessment licence when the DVLA refused to provide time for refresher lessons before the assessment. On the day of the assessment I had not driven for 18 months, it was a car that I had never driven, in a part of Bristol that I had never visited. I failed the assessment. When I reapplied, I enclosed supporting letters from two GPs who’ve known me for years, and an email from a Consultant Ophthalmologist who is a member of the expert committee advising the DVLA on driving and sight issues. The DVLA refused the application, and wrote that I should apply as a normally-sighted driver. The DVLA wrote that full sight could return after a year, but when questioned, admitted that they do not have evidence or know of the existence of such evidence. I submitted a Freedom of Information request that revealed the DVLA Medical Group do not employ Consultant Ophthalmologists. Consequently, you are at the whim of non-medical administrators who may consult DVLA doctors, but the doctors are not specialists in eye sight related defects that are stroke related. I would suggest referring your complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (PHSO), but my complaint is in its fourth year (Select Committee report on the PHSO later this year.)