Whilst waiting to drive...

Today, I finally mustered enough energy and enthusiasm (only six weeks after my operation!) to delve within my collection of driving-related paperwork and find my insurance documentation and telephone them to make them aware - as my nurse suggested - of the fact that I had major bowel surgery.

My "mustering" of enthusiasm took six weeks, because I have a general dread of calling up car insurance companies, having experienced many previous phone calls where I rang with a clear question and found myself putting down the receiver at the end of the conversation with only a vague answer and the bitter realisation that I hadn't been persistent enough in my questioning and therefore would have to call again for clarification.

Despite this dread, it appears I haven't learned my lesson and, sure enough, today I had to call twice. When I was discharged from hospital, the nurse who finalised my paperwork said that most people wait 6-8 weeks before driving and that I should contact my insurance company, just in case they have any special rules or waiting periods. In addition, I should only drive again when I can manage an emergency stop in my car without any trouble or pain.

The first person I spoke to seemed a little off-guard at my question and told me that I should be phoning the DVLA rather than them, as they are people who set the restrictions. They also said that the company couldn't accept my or even my doctor's opinion on my readiness to drive, only the DVLA's.

Half a minute after I put the phone down, I realised I should have questioned further. Instead, I did a Google and found this useful snippet of information hidden within the 'At a glance guide to the current medical standards of fitness to drive':

Driving after surgery
Drivers do not need to notify DVLA unless the medical conditions likely to affect safe driving persist for longer than 3 months after the date of surgery (but please see Neurological and Cardiovascular Disorders Sections for exceptions). 

Therefore, licence holders wishing to drive after surgery should establish with their own doctors when it is safe to do so. 

Any decision regarding returning to driving must take into account several issues. These include recovery from the surgical procedure, recovery from anaesthesia the, distracting effect of pain, impairment due to analgesia (sedation and cognitive impairment), as well as any physical restrictions due to the surgery, underlying condition, or other co-morbid conditions. 

It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that he/she is in control of the vehicle at all times and to be able to demonstrate that is so, if stopped by the police. Drivers should check their insurance policy before returning to drive after surgery.

So I called my insurance company again, armed with this information. The second gentleman that I spoke to acknowledged this and said that that was all fine and that there weren't any special rules set by them - if the DVLA haven't stopped me from driving, then they're satisfied that I'm safe to drive. I also specifically asked, "Does my surgery affect my policy?", to which he said it didn't. Well, I'm happy enough with that. I might not be driving for another couple of weeks (mainly due to tiredness and a lack of concentration now, more than any pain), but it's good to have finally checked the box against the "Inform car insurance" item on my to-do list!