A stroke or transient ischaemic attack TIA.docx

A stroke or transient ischaemic attack TIA.docx

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AstrokeortransientischaemicattackTIA

Drivingafterstroke

Afterhavingastroke,youmaybeeagertogetbackinthedrivingseat.Thisfactsheetexplainshowstrokeandtransientischaemicattacks（TIAs）canaffectyourabilitytodriveandtheproceduresthatyoushouldfollowifyouwanttodriveagain.Italsolistsorganisationsthatcanprovidefurtheradviceandinformation.

Keypoints

AfterastrokeorTIA:

Youcannotdriveforonemonth.

Youusuallydon’tneedtoinformtheDVLA（DVAinNorthernIreland）atthisstage.

Afteronemonthyoumaybeabletodriveagain,longasyourdoctoragreesitissafeforyoutodoso.

Whycan’tIdriveimmediatelyafterhavingastroke?

Afterastrokeyourabilitytodrivesafelycanbeaffectedinvariousways.Youmayhavephysicalorvisualproblems,oryoumayhavedifficultyconcentratingforlongperiodsoftimeormakingquickdecisions.Thefollowingsectionexplainsthisinmoredetail.

Physicaleffects

Weaknessinyourarm,legorbothiscommonafterastroke.Youmayalsoexperienceotherphysicaleffectswhichincludepain,changesinsensation,paralysisandmusclespasms,.Forfurtherinformation,pleaseseefactsheetF33,Physicaleffectsofstroke.

Problemswithsight

Astrokecancauseavarietyofproblemswithyoursight.Theseincludedoubleorblurredvision,lossofcentralvisioninoneorbothofyoureyes,andvisualfieldloss.Forfurtherinformation,pleaseseeourfactsheetF37,Visualproblemsafterstroke.

Cognitiveeffects

Drivingrequiresmanydifferentcognitiveskills.Youneedtobeabletoconcentrate,navigate,multitaskandmakequickdecisions.Afterastrokeyoumayhavedifficultyconcentrating,understanding,solvingproblems,ormakingdecisions.Yourperceptionofspaceanddistancemayhavechanged,oryoumayhaveproblemswithyourmemory.Forfurtherinformation,seeourfactsheetF7,Memory,thinkingandunderstandingafterstroke.

Fatigue

Afteryourstrokeyoumayfindthatyoulackenergyandfeelextremelytired.Thismayaffectyourabilitytodrive.Forfurtherinformation,seeourfactsheetF18,Fatigueafterstroke.

Epilepsy

Asmallnumberofpeoplehaveaseizurewithinthefirst24hoursoftheirstroke,andsomegoontodevelopepilepsy.Thisconditioncanaffectyourabilitytodrive.Forfurtherinformation,seeourfactsheetF24,Epilepsyandstroke.

Thedrivingrules

InEngland,ScotlandandWales,drivingrulesaresetbytheDriverandVehicleLicensingAgency（DVLA）.InNorthernIrelandthisresponsibilityrestswiththeDriver&VehicleAgency（DVA）.TheirrulesregardingmedicalfitnesstodrivearethesameastheDVLA.

Theteamofstrokeprofessionalsinvolvedinyourcaremaybeinvolvedinassessingtheskillsyouneedfordriving.Theycanalsoadvisewhetheritissafeitisforyoutoreturntodriving.

AfterastrokeorTIAyoumuststopdrivingimmediately,butformanypeoplethisistemporary.Itispossibletoreturntodrivingaslongasit’ssafetodosoandcorrectproceduresarefollowed.TheDVLAproduceafactsheet,Carormotorcycledriverswhohavehadastrokeortransientischaemicattack（TIA）.Thisoutlineswhenyouhavetoinformthemthatyouhavehadastroke.ThisguidealsoappliesinNorthernIrelandandyourmedicalpractitionermayrefertothesewhenadvisingyou.

ItisyourresponsibilitytotelltheDVLAorDVAofanymedicalconditionthatmayaffectyourabilitytodrivesafely.

WhencanIdriveafterastrokeoraTIA?

Carsormotorcycles

Ifyouhavealicencetodriveacarormotorcycle（categoryBlicence）youarenotallowedtodriveforatleastonemonthafterastrokeorTIA.Afteramonthyoumaystartdrivingagainifyourdoctorishappywithyourrecovery.

IfyouhaveanumberofTIAsoverashortperiodoftimeyouwillneedtowaituntilyouhavenothadanyTIAsforthreemonthsbeforereturningtodriving.YouwillalsoneedtonotifytheDVLA/DVA.

Othervehicles

Ifyouhavealicencetodrivealargegoodsvehicle（LGV）orapassengercarryingvehicle（PCV）youmusttelltheDVLAimmediatelythatyouhavehadastroke.Youarenotallowedtodrivethistypeofvehicleforoneyear.Afterthistimeyoumaybeabletoresumedriving,butthiswilldependagainonhowwellyouhaverecoveredandalsoontheresultsofmedicalreportsandtests.

Tractorormopeddrivers（withacategoryForPlicence）needtofollowthesamerulesascarusers（seeabove）.

Ifyoudriveataxiyourlocalauthority（orinLondonthePublicCarriageOffice）willdecideonthemedicalstandardsyoumustmeettoreturntodriving.ItiscurrentlybestpracticeforthesamerulesfordriversofPCVstobeappliedtotaxidrivers.

Ifyoudriveapolice,ambulanceorhealthservicevehicle,theindividualpoliceforce,NHStrust,primarycaretrustorlocalhealthbodymayrequireyoutomeetadditionalmedicalstandards.

Otherrules

Epilepsy

Ifyoudevelopepilepsyafteryourstroke,youcanonlyreturntodrivingonceyouhavebeenfreefromseizuresforatleastoneyear.Youwillusuallybeissuedalicenceforafixedperiodofone,twoorthreeyearsuntilyouhavebeenfreefromseizuresforfiveyears,atwhichtimeyoumayapplyforalong-termlicence.Theactualtimeperiodwilldependonthetypeofseizuresyouhave,whentheyoccurred,whetheryouwereawakeorasleep,theirfrequency,whetheryouaretakinganymedicationandwhetheryouhaveanyprevioushistoryofseizures.Ifyouhavealicencetodriveaheavygoodsorpubliccarryingvehicle,youmustbefreefromseizuresfortenyears..

Carotidendarterectomy

20percentofstrokesarecausedbynarrowingofthecarotidarteries（thetwomainarteriesinthenecksupplyingbloodtothebrain）.Themaintreatmentforthisisacarotidendarterectomy,anoperationtoremovetheblockagesandliningoftheartery.Youwillbeabletoreturntodrivingwithintwotothreeweeksprovidingyoucanperformanemergencystopsafelyandlookoveryourshoulder.PleaseseeourfactsheetF40,Carotidarterydiseaseformoreinformationonthisprocedure.

DoIneedtonotifytheDVLA/DVA?

DuringthefirstmonthafterastrokeorasingleTIAyoudonothavetonotifytheDVLA/DVA,eventhoughyouarenotallowedtodrive,.

YoumustnotifytheDVLA/DVAassoonaspossibleifanyofthefollowingapply:

∙youhaveexperiencedmultipleTIAsoverashortperiodoftime

∙yourconditionworsensatanytime

∙youhaveexperiencedanyformofepilepticseizure,otherthanoneswithinthefirst24hoursfollowingyourstroke

∙yourstroketreatmentincludedbrainsurgery

∙youhaveexperiencedmorethanonestrokeinthepastthreemonths

∙yourdoctorexpressesconcernaboutyourfitnesstodrive

∙youholdacurrent（LGV）or（PCV）licence.

OnemonthafteryourstrokeyouwillneedtonotifytheDVLA/DVAifyouhaveanyongoingeffectsfromyourstroke.Thesemightincludevisualfieldloss,cognitiveormemoryproblemsorweaknessand/orparalysisinyourarm,leg.

Ifyouonlyexperienceminorarmorlegweaknessandhavenootherproblems,youmaynothavetonotifytheDVLA/DVA.Youwillonlyneedtoinformthemifyourlimbweaknessrestrictsyourabilitytodrivecertainvehiclesoryourequireavehiclewithspeciallyadaptedcontrolstosuityourneeds.Ifthishappens,yourdrivinglicencewillbecodedtoreflectthechangestoyourvehicle.,.

Ifyouareunsureofanyoftheabovepointsorwhetherornotyouaresafetodrive,youshouldalwayscheckwithyourdoctor..

IfyouaretakentohospitalfollowingyourstrokeorTIA,themedicalteamshouldaskifyoudriveandifyouwishtointhefuture.Ifyoudo,theywillassessyourabilitytodrivesafelyandexplainthecurrentDVLA/DVAguidelinesbeforeyouleavehospital.IfyoudidnotstayinhospitalyoushouldspeaktoyourGP.YourdoctormaycontactotherprofessionalsortheDVLA’smedicaladvisersforadvicewhenmakingadecision.

HowdoInotifytheDVLA/DVA?

Step1

FirstlyyouwillneedtocompleteamedicalquestionnaireandsendthistotheDVLADriversMedicalGrouporifyouliveinNorthernIreland,theDVAMedicalSection.YoucanrequestaformdirectlyfromtheDVLA/DVAoryoucandownloadthemfromtheGovernmentwebsites:

∙www.direct.gov.uk（forDVLA）

∙www.nidirect.gov.uk/motoring（DVA）.

Step2

WherepossibletheDVLA/DVAwillmakeadecisionusingtheinformationyouprovide.IftheDVLA/DVArequiremoreinformationtheymay:

∙contactyourGPorconsultantforfurtherinformation,（withyourpermission）

∙arrangeforyoutobeexaminedbyamedicalofficerorspecialistinyourlocalarea

∙askyoutotakeadrivingassessment,eyetestand/ordrivingtest.

Step3

OncetheDVLA/DVAhasreceivedalltherelevantinformationtheirmedicaladviserwillmakeadecisionaboutwhetheryoucandriveagain.

TheDVLA/DVAmaymakeoneofthefollowingdecisions:

∙Youmaybeabletokeepyourlicence.

∙Youmaybeissuedalicenceforafixedperiodofone,twoorthreeyears,afterwhichtimeyourmedicalfitnesswillbereviewedagain.

∙Youmaybeissuedwithalicencethatrequiresyoutodriveavehiclewithadaptedcontrols.

∙Yourlicencemaybetakenaway.Ifthishappens,youwillbegivenareasonforthisdecision.Youshouldbetoldifyoucanreapplyforyourlicence,andyoushouldreceiveanoticeexplaininghowyoucanappealthedecision.

TheDVLAaimstomakeadecisionwithin15workingdays.Iftheyrequirefurtherinformation,theywillaimtomakethedecisionwithin90days.IftheDVAaremakingthedecision,theywillaimtodecidewithinthreetofourweeks.Iffurther

informationisrequiredaboutyourmedical

conditionsoryouhaveaLGVorPCVlicence,theywillaimtomakeadecisi