Hi, I tried to renew my driving licence last August and had my licence extended for a further six months because of the pandemic, so I got it done today but the renewal required a medical report for the categories I was applying for. I had it done for the first appointment which wasn't used, so a second one was required and I've had to pay twice, has anyone else had this happen and if so was it easy to get it sorted and get the cost returned.
Driving licence renewal
- Thread starter Kevvfr
- Start date
That seems at odds with the information given on ndls.ie, which states very clearly "The Medical Report must be completed correctly by a registered medical practitioner and you must sign the declaration in their presence. It must be presented to the NDLS within three months of being signed by the medical practitioner. Please note the maximum term for higher categories on a full licence is 5 years." Bold and italic in 2nd to last sentence is mine.
Same thing happened an elderly relative of mine. He had to get the Medical Report redone. I don't think his GP charged him again though.
A renewal which should've been straightforward ended up causing a lot of stress and worry, and taking a very long time. It's not easy for the elderly who have limited internet skills.
A renewal which should've been straightforward ended up causing a lot of stress and worry, and taking a very long time. It's not easy for the elderly who have limited internet skills.
Yeah, but mine were nearly six months apart and both signed in the presence of my GP, but as he said "we haven't been contacted by the NDLS to re issue the report free of charge" so Joe public just has to fork out and try and fix it ourselves.
@Grizzly
See here
Your age and medical fitness will determine the duration of licence which can be issued.
| Age | Licence Term |
|---|---|
| Under 60 years | Maximum* 10 year licence - Cars and Motorcycles or Maximum* 5 year licence - Trucks and Buses |
| 60 - 66 years | A licence which will expire on the eve of your 70th birthday at the latest. However please note that any group 2 categories (trucks and buses) will be for a maximum of five years which could expire before the driver turns 70. |
| 67 - 69 years | 3 year licence |
| 70 or over | 3 year licence or 1 year licence (subject to certification of fitness to drive by your doctor) |
The age in question is your age on the date of application.
HollowKnight
Registered User
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Why do you expect the GP to work for free? A second certification requires medical expertise, equipment etc to perform.
GP's get large amounts of money from the State for just about everything. They are getting €308 a year for the 70 year old anyway via their GMS Medical Card, and that's without extras for Flu jabs, Covid Jabs, and every second thing they do for them. They could sign a bloody form without charging for it!
RetirementPlan
Registered User
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Isn't that the issue though - that they don't get paid for every second thing they do for them? The €308 is a fixed fee per patient, regardless of how many visits the patient requires over the course of the year. New developments like Covid jabs are on top of this, agreed, but for routine business, it is a fixed fee.
Take a look at this. They get plenty of extras. It's also worth noting that for every Euro they get from the HSE there is 10 cents put into their Occupational Pension. The Flu Jab is worth €15 per shot but they are getting €30 per shot for the Covid jab. Their Practice Nurse, Practice Manager and Secretary are also paid for by the HSE. Therefore the Nurse giving out the Covid jabs at €30 a pop is already being paid by the State. Don't believe the propaganda. They are very well paid. A GP working full time will make somewhere between €160k and €250k a year.
RetirementPlan
Registered User
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No doubt they are well paid, and not unreasonably so. We should probably distinguish between a GP who is a partner in a practice, and a GP who is a direct employee, or a locum GP.
My real point was about the extras. If I'm looking in the right place (table of Special Items of Service) at the top of P23 in that document, the extras aren't for routine, every day matters. I'd hazard a guess that most patients in most GPs don't get any of these particular extras in any year, except maybe the €10 flu jab.
A Excisions / Cryotherapy / Diathermy of Skin Lesions €24.80
AB Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) €70.00
AC Removal Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) €50.00
AD 24 Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring €60.00
AE Cervical Screening Consultation €50.00
B Suturing of cuts and lacerations €50.00
C Draining of Hydroceles €24.80
D Treatment and Plugging of Dental and Nasal Haemorrhages €24.80
F ECG Tests and their Interpretation €24.80
H Removal of adherent foreign bodies from the conjunctival surface of the eye €24.80
J Removal of lodged or impacted foreign bodies from the ear, nose and throat €24.80
K Nebuliser treatment in the case of acute asthma attack €37.21
L Bladder Catheterization €60.00
M Attendance at case conferences (where authorised by the HSE) €62.02
R Pneumococcal Vaccination €28.50
S Influenza Vaccination €15.00
T Pneumococcal / Influenza Vaccinations €42.75
U Hepatitis B Vaccination €142.57
V H1N1 Vaccination €10.00
Your point about the pension is interesting, and not one I had come across before. This doesn't seem to be called out clearly in that document, though it does mention a €32 million 'contribution' to Superannuation Fund, which may well cover it.
They also get a payment for Covid phone referrals and who is to say what call was a referral and what wasn't.
Pre-Natal and post-Natal check-ups are also quite lucrative but Covid has been a godsend revenue wise for GP's.
SoylentGreen
Registered User
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- 485
Is that not a different thread?
NDLS contact details.
I am due to hit 70 yrs of age next birthday. I applied online for a renewal of my driving licence. I am required to get a medical form completed by my doctor. They only have a download option to get this form. My printer has given up the ghost so I can't download. I tried ringing them, to...
www.askaboutmoney.com
@SoylentGreen - think you could well be right! 