Taxi Driver Online

I have a driver who has recently suffered a heart attack followed by a triple bypass operation

he has been told by his doctors that he will be able to drive a car again but not a taxi for at least 5 years following the surgery

I know our LA require you to take a specialist medical before license reissued but are there any government guidelines because i would have thought after about 6 months the driver would be in better shape than his last medical

Don't understand how a heart attack = resume driving subject to passing fitness medical

but bypass surgery= can't apply for license till 5 years elapsed since surgery

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Summary of Rules for specific heart problems
1. Drivers who have had a heart attack
a. At least 6 weeks after the attack
b. Free of angina for six weeks
c. Pass a 9 minute treadmill exercise test (Bruce protocol)
d. May also need to have an Echocardiogram

2. Drivers who have had an angioplasty / stent
a. At least 6 weeks after the angioplasty / stent
b. Free of angina for six weeks
c. Pass a 9 minute treadmill exercise test (Bruce protocol)

3. Drivers who have had bypass surgery (CABG)
a. At least three months after the operation
b. Free of angina for six weeks
c. Pass a 9 minute treadmill exercise test (Bruce protocol)
d. Echocardiogram to show that the LVEF (pumping power of the heart) is at 40%

That makes no sense.

If the driver can pass the stress tests, then they should be considered for a license. That shouldn't take 5 years.

I've known drivers back licensed within 6 months.

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IDFIMH

From DVLA's website:

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Group 1 - car and motorcycle

✘- Must not drive for at least 4 weeks but need not notify the DVLA.

Driving may resume after 4 weeks provided there is no other disqualifying condition.


Group 2 - bus and lorry

✘- Must not drive and must notify the DVLA.

Licence will be refused or revoked.

May be relicensed/licensed after 3 months if:

■ LV ejection fraction is at least 40%
■ the requirements for exercise or other functional tests can be met (see Appendix C), at least 3 months postoperatively
■ there is no other disqualifying condition.

Appendix C is here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/appendices- ... iderations

Just goes to show doctors shouldn’t be doing medicals

Not entirely sure if it was the doctors said that or not he's on a lot of pain killers at the moment and is not entirely with it it might be what our LO told his wife.

Thank you for that i now have the facts I need to go on so I was expecting it to be a minimum of 6 months for him to recover from this anyway so after that we'll see when the doctors declare him fit to drive and take it from there

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Has anyone actually done one of those treadmill tests?

As far as I can make it it's a nine-minute test working up to 3.4 mph on a 14% gradient, which must be maintained for three minutes.

3.4 mph would be a slow jog, I think, but suspect the real killer (and I use the word advisedly ) would be the 14% gradient.

Thing is, if it's as I describe then I'm pretty sure many licensed drivers wouldn't manage that kind of pace, never mind those who've had heart bypass surgery, who are in all probability unlikely to be in good shape otherwise.

According to the DVLA's website, "the patient should be able to complete 3 stages of the standard Bruce protocol or equivalent safely", then the measurements are taken etc.

According to Wiki stage 3 of the Bruce Protocol is 3.4mph on a 14% gradient

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_protocol

I think it’s a walk well according to the expert.
This measures LVEF (Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction) - To drive this figure needs to be at least 40%.

For various reasons some drivers are unable to walk sucessfully on a treadmill.

In these cases there is an alternative - stress echocardiography. This test is not dependent on the ability to walk on a treadmill.

In my experience most but not all drivers who fail the treadmill test are succesful in passing stress echocardiography.

If you feel that you may not be able to do 9 minutes on the treadmill then it is often best to have a stress echocardiogram.

There is an independent driver here who has had a heart attack a couple of years ago and had to do a full medical including that test he's a smoker and not the fittest bloke in the world but passed it ok

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector