Epilepsy help over travel cards

Advice is being issued to help people with epilepsy get their travel cards under a new system.

Kelly Smith, 26, who works for an Aberdeen oil industry company, tells the BBC Scotland news website of her problems with the new process.

Kelly Smith has had epilepsy since she was 16

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 16 years old and, unfortunately, my epilepsy has never been fully controlled.

I suffer from simple partial attacks and complex partial attacks that are more often than not followed by secondary generalised attacks.

As my epilepsy has never been fully controlled and I have never been attack free for the minimum term of one year, I have never been able to drive as I would be refused a licence on medical grounds.

I received my first concession card quite some time ago prior to the Scotland wide initiative.

The process was simple. Get a letter confirming your status from your GP or specialist and take it to the appropriate department at your local council offices where a pass would be issued.

When the nationwide scheme began, the process was pretty much the same.

My current card expires on 3 December, so I called my local council offices on 19 October to re-apply. I was told that the process had changed, however no-one seemed sure what the new process was.

I feel this new process is very bureaucratic Kelly Smith

I was passed around the operators, the last one of whom instructed me to call the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). I called the DVLA and they too were confused and appeared unsure of the process.

I called my GP, who knew the process, and told me I must apply for a licence from the DVLA, which meant I had to complete the application form, pay £45 to have it processed and send them my passport and a recent passport photograph via recorded delivery.

He explained that the DVLA would contact him for confirmation of my medical status, he would return the confirmation letter to them, they would then send me a letter rejecting my application and then I would be able to go to my local council and apply for my new card with the DVLA's letter as proof of my medical status.

Unfortunately, to add to the problem, I had a seizure on 7 September during which I broke my jaw. I had only started my current job the week before and was not entitled to any sick pay. I had almost three weeks off work due to surgery and recovery.

I was struggling financially and I simply did not have £45 to spare.

'Only way'

Thankfully my mum paid this fee for me, otherwise I would not have been able to make my application to the DVLA.

I'm very sure there are other people who aren't as fortunate as me that will not be able to find this money. Yet this is the only way to apply now.

I feel this new process is very bureaucratic. Surely the previous system is much less complicated and makes better use of government resources?

I called Epilepsy Scotland and my local MSP's office, Lewis Macdonald, to discuss the issue and highlight the problem that all people with epilepsy, and others with medical problems that make them unable to drive, must be encountering.

I have yet to write to Mr Macdonald, but I feel this is an appropriate and necessary step to take if we are to change this ridiculous process.

* Another unnamed person with epilepsy was diagnosed in August. The person was told not to drive and voluntarily surrendered - self declared - their licence to DVLA.

The process allows the person to ask DVLA for the licence back if there is no further seizure within the year. However, using this process does not give the letter of refusal needed from DVLA which acts as a passport for the free travel card.