Question about DVLA

Hi all,

Hope everyone is doing well.

I know no one here can provide legal advice, but any UK people with experience of DVLA and epilepsy would really appreciate some advice.

I'm a 25M in the UK with generalised epilepsy. I've been seizure-free since 2018 and stable on medication. I haven't had any tonic-clonic seizures since then.

I usually have neurology appointments every 1–2 years, normally by phone.

Around a year ago, I mentioned to my neurologist that I was having some memory issues and forgetfulness. He felt these could possibly be absence seizures rather than medication side effects, which really surprised me as I didn't feel like I was having seizures.

As a precaution, he advised me to stop driving for 12 months while we monitored things. I followed this and didn't drive at all during that period, using public transport instead. However, I never surrendered my licence or informed the DVLA because I genuinely didn't believe these episodes were absence seizures. I also spoke to my long-term GP, who didn't think they sounded like absence seizures either.

I recently had another neurology appointment (around 18 months later), and my neurologist said I'm doing really well. He now feels those episodes weren't seizures and were more likely anxiety-related. His clinic letter says they were more consistent with anxiety, notes that my last absence seizure was well over 12 months ago (although the exact date is unknown), and he told me I can start driving again as I've been seizure-free for a long time.

My question is: do I need to do anything now before driving again? I still have my licence as I never surrendered it, and I haven't had any seizures to report.

I'm also wondering how this works from my neurologist's side. When I see him again in around 2 years and he asks about driving, would he expect that I had informed DVLA or completed any paperwork? If DVLA contact is normally part of the process in situations like this, would he find it unusual that there wasn't any contact, or would he mainly focus on how I'm doing at that point?

Thanks.