Thanks, I did bring up the issue with the CAA a number of times on the phone since the case began when calling to ask about progress etc, but no specific action was suggested/taken other than to simply oblige my request for information while making it clear it should really be my AME doing this.
I think I will take some time to try and determine how I want to take this forward, gather my thoughts and find out exactly what questions I need the answers to then put them all in an email to my AME rather than phoning. The added delays obviously are excruciating given the potential (career ending) ramifications of all this but I guess it's better to have it all in writing for the avoidance of doubt given there is a suggestion the AME is failing to act on his duties.
My main concern obviously is now timing given that not only do I have to worry about missing originally intended training dates and losing currency, but also the three year ATPL exam expiry date (never believed this would be an issue, given I was aiming to finish one year before). Looking through the CAA's appeals policy document, it appears I am now at the "AMS Secondary Review of Fitness" stage. It states that the case will be looked at by a different CAA medical assessor and also by an independent specialist adviser. My understanding is the assessment process undertaken by the second CAA assessor will be similar to that of the first (i.e, looking at it afresh) - I'm guessing therefore there's a danger the whole thing could drag on just as long? It took about 14 weeks for this decision to come through from the date I submitted the CAA's requested information.