Taxi Driver Online

Dear Graham
I am waiting to hear from the Councillors who were having a meeting today, when they will discuss the medicals required for taxi drivers.
I will be in touch when I know more.
Kind regards
Karen

Karen Coe
Senior Caseworker to Christine Grahame MSP
Constituency Member for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale

Try this one. Townhouse Consulting Office 11, Curzon House, Curzon Street, Burton on Trent DE14 2DH.

They will come to you and do several appointments a day, at £50.00

_________________
Former taxi driver

If the council require a medical, would they have to change the 1982 act , because there is no mention of it in the act

Agree,this came about from a few years ago on the advice of national government,guidance given was that all licensed drivers should meet the medical standards of a group 2 medical,it did not state you had to have a group 2 medical.

Well the 1982 Act *does* specifically mention medicals for drivers - s. 13(4) says:



https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1982/45/section/13

The Act doesn't specify any particular standard of medical, but recall that the Scottish Government's best practice guidance says:



http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2012/04/3534/10

While it wouldn't be unreasonable to challenge any LA on the grounds that Group 2 standards aren't mentioned in the Act and are unnecessarily stringent, in view of the Scottish Government's guidance and the widespread adoption of the standard it would seem pretty unlikely that such a challenge would be successful.

(Having said that, if an *individual* failed to meet the required Group 2 standard then they could perhaps challenge their LA on the basis that the licensing committee was fettering its discretion by blanket and indiscriminate adoption of the standard (if the driver's case was borderline, perhaps) but I doubt if there would be much scope in trying to strike down the policy as a whole.)

Well the real problem is not the requirement to have a medical equivelant to that of a Group 2 (D4) but the Scottish government and our Local LA's inability to liase with all Scottish GP practices and to have got them onboard before they made the decision that we must have such a medical.

For whatever reason and I cant see a good reason 90% of our local GP practices have all got together and point blankedly refused to do or issue these medicals and I think that's because the Holyrood and it's puppet Scottish LA's have failed in adequately getting their message across to the Doctors.

It's so bloody wrong that they are forcing drivers to take medicals that their own Doctors and practices refuse to do...it should be deferred until they get or force all the GP practices to offer these medicals.

My GP did and I have a Medical, my Partners GP did not and now it's a trip to an independent Medical practice in Edinburgh at extra expense and down time to fit one in.

Somethings just not right.

Indeed, the policy is one thing, administering and implementing it is another.

But as usual it all smacks of bureaucrats and politicians who are good at posturing, policy making and box ticking, but pay little heed to the practicalities involved and how it will affect people at the coal face.

Like the Law Commission's cross-border mess down south, for example.

Or Brexit. Or the SNP's constant bleating for more powers in relation to the payment of benefits, but now they've actually got them they're asking Westminster to retain them for another year or two - maybe a sudden realisation that there's no magic money tree for benefits, so Holyrood would get the blame rather than Westminster.

Well it had to happen, one operator of 25 years has lost his badge for failing the medical due to high blood pressure, he might get it back if it can be brought under control.
Several others have said feck it and are leaving the trade once there badge is up for renewal

According to the DVLA's website you only need to stop driving if you have something called malignant hypertension. Never heard of that before, but it seems to mean blood pressure "greater than or equal to 180/110 with evidence of progressive organ damage". That applies to either Group 1 or 2.

If you have hypertension - which simply means high blood pressure - then according to this page you only need to notify the DVLA if you're a Group 2 driver.

https://www.gov.uk/high-blood-pressure-and-driving

Which begs the question, what counts as high blood pressure that Group 2 drivers need to notify the DVLA about?

If you look at this page - which is "advice for medical professionals" then for Group 2 drivers there's no option to simply notify DVLA and keep on driving, so this information seems inconsistent with that above. Anyone else work it out?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cardiovascu ... pertension

Of course, as far as local authorities applying the Group 2 standards are concerned the application of the standard does not directly involve the DVLA.

But if Skippy's pal has had to stop driving because of high blood pressure then it must be very high and it's probably a good thing for the driver's long term health that it's been diagnosed.

Seeing as Her Majesty's Government has been kind enough to raise the Pension age to 66 in part because we are all living longer and healthier lives, then why don't they seem as equally keen to raise the requirement for an annual D4 medical from 65 to 66 to reflect the change in pension age.

They could end up with many being to unfit to drive and to young to get their pension....surely these ages should converge once again.