Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers to face greater scrutiny over their health

Taxi drivers in Hart are to undergo tougher new medical checks.

This follows an audit of more than 250 medical report forms after Hart District Council received one which raised concerns. The council said the audit raised further concerns about the medical fitness of some drivers.

It revealed that 131 medicals were carried out by the drivers’ own GP surgery so the examining doctor would have been able to see the driver’s full medical history.

Seventy medicals were carried out at an approved medical centre at which the driver was not registered, which is permitted under current policy. In this instance the medical centre would not have access to the driver’s medical history and would rely on the answers given to them by the drivers.

A further 23 medicals were carried out at other surgeries with no prior approval as required in the policy. Again there would be no access to any medical history.

Seven medicals were carried out by a mobile GP company, eight by a Cotswold-based mobile surgery and four at other ‘out-of-the-area’ surgeries, again with no access to medical history.

Eight applicants declared no registered GP on their medical form, which means they are not likely to be registered at a surgery and may have no medical history records stored anywhere.

A report to Hart’s latest licensing committee states: “There is a real risk that some medical conditions that would restrict or even prevent a person from driving a taxi or private hire vehicle do not come to light. This will potentially mean that licenses have been granted to drivers who have not met the required fitness standard.

“There are no questions about smoking or drinking consumption on the Hart District Council medical form so this information is not declared.”

The report states that the DVLA Group 2 standard requires a five-year medical interval while Hart’s policy is every three years.

“It is suggested that the interval period is changed to five years with the option for a more frequent medical where required, due to new or existing medical conditions and annually when a driver reaches age 65,” it adds.

Councillors agreed to approve an increase on the one-year driver’s licence application fee of £5.40 and £16.40 on the three-year driver’s licence fee from July 1 to cover an independent occupational health advisor’s fee.

“If medicals are changed to five-yearly intervals from three years this will represent a saving for drivers as they will incur their GP’s medical examination fee less often,” the report pointed out.

Under the new policy, all applicants and existing drivers must have their licence medical examinations undertaken at the GP practice where their medical records are stored.

GPs will complete the form based on factual evidence only but not declare the driver’s compliance with the DVLA Group 2 standard.

All completed medical forms will then be sent to the council’s occupational health advisor who will decide if the applicant is fit to hold a private hire or hackney carriage driver’s licence. Relevant medical conditions that require actions to be taken by a driver, such as daily glucose monitoring or the requirement to wear glasses when driving, will be imposed as licence conditions.

source: http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/loca ... ny-9558292

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