A WOMAN from Gwynedd has pleaded to have her driving licence returned to her after it was revoked in December 2022 following an epileptic fit she suffered.

Caryl Pritchard, 38, of Porthmadog, says she has been “at loggerheads” with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) since December 2023 in trying to get it back.

She said the DVLA told her she needed her general practitioner’s consent before allowing her to drive again, as she has type two bipolar disorder.

But Ms Pritchard said that this condition has “never affected my driving”, and feels the DVLA are “discriminating due to my mental illness”.

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Ms Pritchard said: “On December 28, 2022 I had an epileptic fit, leading to me losing my driving licence for 12 months.

“Since December 2023, I have been at loggerheads with the DVLA trying to get my licence back.

“I applied in October 2023 as per DVLA guidelines, but they didn't get in touch with my consultant until January when I phoned for an update.

“Eventually, some six phone calls later, they wrote to my consultant, who cleared me for driving.

“The bipolar has never affected my driving and is largely irrelevant, as I lost my licence to epilepsy. I feel like DVLA are discriminating due to my mental illness.”

Ms Pritchard said she will need her driving licence when she takes up a new job in March, for which she will have to use her car every working day.

This, she said, is compounded by “the added stress of having to phone daily to get updates”, as she said she has “only had one letter” from the DVLA since last October.

She added that her driving licence is clean, having only had to take one speed awareness course previously.

Liz Saville-Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, the constituency in which Ms Pritchard lives, has also written to the DVLA after being contacted by her.

Mrs Saville-Roberts also urged the DVLA to “resolve the matter as quickly as possible”.

She said: “Since first being contacted by my constituent on March 4, I have been in touch with the DVLA seeking clarity as to the status of my constituent’s application to get her driving licence restored following a period of ill health.

“She has been attempting to elicit a response from the DVLA since October, only to be given conflicting messages about her case.

“Despite repeated attempts at contacting the DVLA, my constituent has been met with misinformation and excuses.

“This is causing a great deal of unnecessary stress and anxiety at a time when she should be looking forward to starting her new job.

“I therefore urge the DVLA to resolve this matter as quickly as possible and investigate this ongoing delay before resolving this case.”

In response, a spokesperson for the DVLA said: “When considering an application to issue a driving licence, we aim to make a decision as quickly as possible.

“However, when we require additional information from a medical professional or the driver themselves, we are wholly reliant on receiving this information before a decision can be made.”