Skip to content

Driver medical information

Your medical report must be completed by a doctor within the last 3 months. A medical report must be completed if:

  • you are a new driver
  • are 45 or over and renewing your licence

From the age of 45, you need to provide a medical report every 5 years until you are 65. From 65, driver licences are issued for one year only.

View our medical standards before booking an appointment. with your doctor.

If you develop a condition which could affect safe driving you must inform us immediately. 

If you have meet our standards, arrange to have a full medical examination from your doctor - they must be registered or practising in the UK or in any other EC/EAA country.

If you have any doubts about your fitness please ask your doctor or optician for advice before the form is completed.

You should expect to pay for your medical report at your own expense. You may be required to undergo further medical examinations to prove your fitness to drive at your expense.

New applications will not be approved until your fitness to drive has been confirmed.

Renewals, or during your licence, should a medical condition develop, your licence maybe suspended, or not renewed pending the outcome of a further medical examinations.

Complete section 9 and 10 of the medical report whilst you are with the doctor.

Your medical report must be fully completed before submitting to us. 

View our medical standards before booking an appointment. with your doctor.

If you develop a condition which could affect safe driving you must inform us immediately. 

If you have meet our standards, arrange to have a full medical examination from your doctor - they must be registered or practising in the UK or in any other EC/EAA country.

If you have any doubts about your fitness please ask your doctor or optician for advice before the form is completed.

You should expect to pay for your medical report at your own expense. You may be required to undergo further medical examinations to prove your fitness to drive at your expense.

New applications will not be approved until your fitness to drive has been confirmed.

Renewals, or during your licence, should a medical condition develop, your licence maybe suspended, or not renewed pending the outcome of a further medical examinations.

Complete section 9 and 10 of the medical report whilst you are with the doctor.

Your medical report must be fully completed before submitting to us. 

Medical standards

All drivers must meet the DVLA Group 2 entitlement of fitness to drive - this is a higher medical standard for regular car drivers.

If you have any of the following medical conditions you will not be receive or retain your hackney carriage or private hire driver licence.

If you have been diagnosed as epileptic or have had a spontaneous epileptic attack(s) which includes all events major, minor and auras, you will need to be free of further epileptic attack without taking anti-epilepsy medication for 10 years.

If you have a condition that causes an increased liability to epileptic attacks for example serious head injury, the risk of you having a seizure must fall to no greater than 2% per annum. If these conditions are not met then your application will be refused or your licence revoked.

First epileptic attack or solitary seizure

If you have had only one epileptic attack or a solitary seizure, you may be entitled to drive after 5 years from the date of the seizure provided that you are able to satisfy the following criteria:

  • no relevant structural abnormality has been found in the brain on scanning
  • no definite epileptic activity has been found on EEG (record of the brain waves)
  • you have achieved at least five years without anti-epilepsy drugs since the seizure
  • you have the support of your neurologist
  • your risk of a further seizure is considered to be 2% or less per annum (each year)

You are strongly advised to discuss your eligibility to meet the Group 2 Standard of fitness to drive with your doctor(s) before applying for a licence.

If you have been diagnosed as epileptic or have had a spontaneous epileptic attack(s) which includes all events major, minor and auras, you will need to be free of further epileptic attack without taking anti-epilepsy medication for 10 years.

If you have a condition that causes an increased liability to epileptic attacks for example serious head injury, the risk of you having a seizure must fall to no greater than 2% per annum. If these conditions are not met then your application will be refused or your licence revoked.

First epileptic attack or solitary seizure

If you have had only one epileptic attack or a solitary seizure, you may be entitled to drive after 5 years from the date of the seizure provided that you are able to satisfy the following criteria:

  • no relevant structural abnormality has been found in the brain on scanning
  • no definite epileptic activity has been found on EEG (record of the brain waves)
  • you have achieved at least five years without anti-epilepsy drugs since the seizure
  • you have the support of your neurologist
  • your risk of a further seizure is considered to be 2% or less per annum (each year)

You are strongly advised to discuss your eligibility to meet the Group 2 Standard of fitness to drive with your doctor(s) before applying for a licence.

Any applicant with insulin treated diabetes will not be able to obtain a licence unless they can satisfy the following criteria:

  • no episode of hypoglycaemia requiring the assistance of another person has occurred in the preceding 12 months
  • has full awareness of hypoglycaemia
  • regularly monitors blood glucose at least twice daily and at times relevant to driving using a glucose meter with a memory function to measure and record blood glucose levels. At the annual examination by an independent Consultant Diabetologist, 3 months of blood glucose readings must be available
  • must demonstrate an understanding of the risks of hypoglycaemia
  • there are no other debarring complications of diabetes such as a visual field defect

Any applicant with insulin treated diabetes will not be able to obtain a licence unless they can satisfy the following criteria:

  • no episode of hypoglycaemia requiring the assistance of another person has occurred in the preceding 12 months
  • has full awareness of hypoglycaemia
  • regularly monitors blood glucose at least twice daily and at times relevant to driving using a glucose meter with a memory function to measure and record blood glucose levels. At the annual examination by an independent Consultant Diabetologist, 3 months of blood glucose readings must be available
  • must demonstrate an understanding of the risks of hypoglycaemia
  • there are no other debarring complications of diabetes such as a visual field defect

All new applicants must have:

  • a visual acuity of at least 6/7.5 (0.8 decimal) in the better eye;
  • a visual acuity of at least 6/60 (0.1 decimal) in the other eye; and
  • where glasses are worn to meet the minimum standards, they should have a corrective power ≤ +8 dioptres in any meridian of either lens.

Normal binocular field

All applicants must have a normal binocular field of vision. Any area of defect in a single eye is totally compensated for by the field of the other eye.

Various grandfather rights may apply to existing licence holders. 

Email licensing@gloucester.gov.uk for further information.

All new applicants must have:

  • a visual acuity of at least 6/7.5 (0.8 decimal) in the better eye;
  • a visual acuity of at least 6/60 (0.1 decimal) in the other eye; and
  • where glasses are worn to meet the minimum standards, they should have a corrective power ≤ +8 dioptres in any meridian of either lens.

Normal binocular field

All applicants must have a normal binocular field of vision. Any area of defect in a single eye is totally compensated for by the field of the other eye.

Various grandfather rights may apply to existing licence holders. 

Email licensing@gloucester.gov.uk for further information.

Any person who cannot meet the recommended medical guidelines for the following conditions is likely to have their application refused or licence revoked:

  • within 3 months of a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
  • angina, heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia which remain uncontrolled
  • implanted cardiac defibrillator
  • hypertension where the blood pressure is persistently 180 systolic or more and/or 100 diastolic or more
  • a stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) within the last 12 months
  • unexplained loss of consciousness with liability to recurrence
  • Meniere's Disease, or any other sudden and disabling vertigo within the past 1 year, with a liability to recurrence
  • difficulty in communicating by telephone in an emergency
  • major brain surgery and/or recent severe head injury with serious continuing after effects
  • Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or other chronic neurological disorders with symptoms likely to affect safe driving
  • psychotic illness, in the past 3 years
  • serious psychiatric illness
  • if major psychotropic or neuroleptic medication is being taken
  • alcohol and/or drug misuse in the past 1 year or alcohol and/or drug dependency in the past 3 years
  • dementia
  • any malignant condition in the last 2 years, with a significant liability to metastasise (spread) to the brain
  • any other serious medical condition likely to affect the safe driving of a medium/large goods or passenger carrying vehicle

Any person who cannot meet the recommended medical guidelines for the following conditions is likely to have their application refused or licence revoked:

  • within 3 months of a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
  • angina, heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia which remain uncontrolled
  • implanted cardiac defibrillator
  • hypertension where the blood pressure is persistently 180 systolic or more and/or 100 diastolic or more
  • a stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) within the last 12 months
  • unexplained loss of consciousness with liability to recurrence
  • Meniere's Disease, or any other sudden and disabling vertigo within the past 1 year, with a liability to recurrence
  • difficulty in communicating by telephone in an emergency
  • major brain surgery and/or recent severe head injury with serious continuing after effects
  • Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or other chronic neurological disorders with symptoms likely to affect safe driving
  • psychotic illness, in the past 3 years
  • serious psychiatric illness
  • if major psychotropic or neuroleptic medication is being taken
  • alcohol and/or drug misuse in the past 1 year or alcohol and/or drug dependency in the past 3 years
  • dementia
  • any malignant condition in the last 2 years, with a significant liability to metastasise (spread) to the brain
  • any other serious medical condition likely to affect the safe driving of a medium/large goods or passenger carrying vehicle

Some medical conditions also cause excessive sleepiness/tiredness. These, alone or in combination with the  factors mentioned previously, may be sufficient to make driving unsafe. A road traffic accident may be the first clear indication of such a sleep disorder.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

This is the most common sleep related medical disorder and significantly increases the risk of traffic accidents.

Read the NHS advice on OSA

Other

Illnesses of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Narcolepsy may also cause excessive sleepiness although sometimes these illnesses alone may cause drivers to be unfit for driving.

Tiredness or excessive sleepiness can be a non-specific symptom of Parkinson’s Disease, MS, MND or may also be related to prescribed medication.

Narcolepsy also causes daytime sleepiness/tiredness as well as other symptoms that may be disabling for drivers

Some medical conditions also cause excessive sleepiness/tiredness. These, alone or in combination with the  factors mentioned previously, may be sufficient to make driving unsafe. A road traffic accident may be the first clear indication of such a sleep disorder.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

This is the most common sleep related medical disorder and significantly increases the risk of traffic accidents.

Read the NHS advice on OSA

Other

Illnesses of the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Narcolepsy may also cause excessive sleepiness although sometimes these illnesses alone may cause drivers to be unfit for driving.

Tiredness or excessive sleepiness can be a non-specific symptom of Parkinson’s Disease, MS, MND or may also be related to prescribed medication.

Narcolepsy also causes daytime sleepiness/tiredness as well as other symptoms that may be disabling for drivers