Consultation will see if healthcare professionals can complete medical DVLA questionnaires

The DVLA has launched a consultation that will look at whether other healthcare professionals should be allowed to complete medical questionnaires.

To help decide whether drivers are DVLA standard medically fit, medical questionnaires are often completed by healthcare professionals, with each year the DVLA making 500,000 medical licensing decisions. These questionnaires at present often require a driver’s doctor or consultant to complete.

A new consultation launched on the 8th of November is looking into whether other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, can also complete these questionnaires. This could be the first step in potentially changing the law and amending the Road Traffic Act 1988.

This forms part of the process by the DVLA to speed up the process of medical licensing and reduce the burden that currently lies with doctors to provide the evidence needed. The DVLA suggests that in many cases other health care professionals, such as nurse practitioners, would be more involved in patient treatment and therefore would have an equal placement to complete the questionnaire.

The consultation is due to run until the 6th December and is particularly asking for feedback from registered healthcare professionals.

DVLA Chief Executive Julie Lennard said about the new consultation: ‘Year on year we are seeing an increase in medical licensing applications for drivers, and we are continuously looking for ways to improve the process for customers and the medical profession.

‘This proposal would allow a wider pool of healthcare professionals to complete a driver’s medical questionnaire, reducing the burden on GPs and consultants. We are particularly keen to seek views from registered healthcare professionals, medical practitioners and representative bodies within the health sector on making this change.’