Change in the law to address DVLA medical driving licence backlog

• Legal change made to speed up the medical driving licence application process.
• More registered healthcare professionals, other than doctors, can now complete medical questionnaires.
• Change is not mandatory and does not apply to the D4 medical examination report.

The DVLA has announced a change in the law to enable more healthcare professionals to complete medical questionnaires.

From today (20 July 2022) the Road Traffic Act 1988 has been amended to allow doctors to refer medical questionnaires to colleagues such as specialist nurses and opticians from other professional bodies.

The DVLA said the change follows a public consultation where 82 per cent of respondents were supportive of the change and it has been introduced as part of plans to speed up the medical licencing process. 

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: "Obtaining or renewing a driving licence should always be a quick, simple and efficient process. That’s why we’re allowing more healthcare professionals to complete DVLA medical questionnaires to speed up the medical licensing process and ease the burden on GPs."

Earlier this year, a freedom of information request by HonestJohn.co.uk’s sister brand heycar uncovered a 65 per cent year-on-year rise in the number of drivers with medical conditions waiting for their application to be processed. 

The DVLA said that the backlog, caused by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and strike action by members of the Public and Commercial Services union last year, has since reduced. It aims to return to ‘normal’ (i.e. pre-Covid-19) processing times of 90 per cent of medical driving licence applications being processed within 90 days by the end of September. 

However, we continue to regularly receive questions via Ask HJ from drivers with medical conditions who have been waiting significant periods.

The change in the law does not mandate GP surgeries and hospital teams to change their current practices. However, the DVLA said that it is raising awareness of the change by continuing to “engage with professional organisations representing doctors and other healthcare professionals, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales”. 

The spokesperson said that the DVLA will “continue to monitor the process but we would expect the flexibility this change provides to be used where there are overall benefits to that hospital team or GP surgery. It is up to the relevant healthcare body or surgery how they use this new flexibility”.   

The DVLA will continue to send questionnaires to General Medical Council (GMC) doctors and consultants, and it will then be up to individual GP practices and hospital teams as to which healthcare professional in practice is best placed to complete the questionnaire.

The change to the law allows medical professionals from the following Councils to complete medical questionnaires on behalf of doctors: General Chiropractic Council; The General Optical Council; The General Osteopathic Council; The Nursing and Midwifery Council; and Health and Care Professions Council.

The change to the law does not apply to the D4 medical examination report (used to obtain a lorry or bus driving licence). This will still need to be completed by a doctor or consultant who is registered with the GMC.