A brand new rule has come into place to assist DVLA get by way of a backlog of driving licence functions.
Till now, drivers who had well being circumstances needed to have a questionnaire crammed out by a health care provider, however now that is being prolonged to a wider vary of healthcare professionals.
The rule got here into power yesterday, as was launched to hurry up the medical licensing course of amid a backlog of functions.
In an modification to the Highway Site visitors Act 1988, the medical questionnaire can now be carried out by medical professionals corresponding to specialist nurses and opticians, which will even alleviate the workload for docs.
The medical licensing course of is a authorized requirement to make sure drivers meet the medical requirements for health to drive, experiences Glasgow Reside.
Prior to now, a health care provider must full the DVLA medical kinds if the affected person wants it. The DVLA will proceed to ship questionnaires to GMC docs and consultants however different healthcare employees concerned within the sufferers care can full it.
It is going to be as much as particular person GP practices and hospital groups as to which healthcare skilled in apply is finest positioned to finish the questionnaire.
Roads Minister, Baroness Vere praised the modifications, saying it might profit each drivers and healthcare staff.
She mentioned: “Acquiring or renewing a driving licence ought to at all times be a fast, easy and environment friendly course of. That’s why we’re permitting extra healthcare professionals to finish DVLA medical questionnaires to hurry up the medical licensing course of and ease the burden on GPs.”
It comes because of in depth work by DVLA, together with a public session the place 82 % of respondents have been supportive of the change in regulation.
It was reported that in 2020 and 2021, the DVLA obtained 603,000 medical notifications and functions.
The DVLA predict to see this quantity develop yearly resulting from an elevated life expectancy, an ageing inhabitants and an increase in sure medical circumstances.
Along with this, instances are additionally changing into extra advanced, with extra people notifying DVLA of a number of medical circumstances.
Julie Lennard, Chief Government of the DVLA, mentioned: “Yearly we're receiving an growing variety of medical licensing functions from drivers.
This regulation change, which widens the pool of healthcare professionals who can full DVLA questionnaires, improves the method for these notifying DVLA of medical circumstances while decreasing the executive burden on docs, benefitting drivers and the NHS alike.”
The typical time taken to obtain info from docs has been severely impacted by the pandemic and different resultant calls for on their time, and greater than doubling within the final 12 months.
It takes roughly 94 calendar days for motorbike and automobile licence functions and a mean of 75 calendar days for bus and lorry licence functions to be processed.
Beforehand, solely docs registered with the Normal Medical Council (GMC) may full the questionnaires.
Though there is no such thing as a requirement for GP surgical procedures or hospital groups to make modifications to their present processes, the change to the regulation will now enable medical professionals from the next Councils to finish medical questionnaires on behalf of docs;
Normal Chiropractic Council
The Normal Optical Council
The Normal Osteopathic Council
The Nursing and Midwifery Council
Well being and Care Professions Council
Do not miss the most recent information from round Scotland and past - Signal as much as our each day publicationright here.