Professional drivers are required to take a D4 medical assessment again, and the DVLA are making driver medicals a priority. The government regulations temporarily allowed bus, lorry, ambulance and private hire drivers to apply for a licence renewal without taking a medical.
The DVLA and medics urged drivers to take a medical if possible, and only to take up the waiver if necessary. Now the scheme has ended – this is what drivers need to know.
Has the D4 Medical Waiver Scheme Ended?
As of April 2021, the D4 medical waiver scheme has ended. It was one of the temporary measured brought in to tide over drivers, GPs and the DVLA.
In 2020, the DVLA granted 11-month extensions to licence holders due for renewal to solve the challenges posed by the pandemic. As the initial scheme drew to a close, it was replaced by new relaxed rules to keep lorries, buses and other much-needed vehicles on the road.
Professional drivers are typically required by the DVLA to undertake a D4 driver medical. With doctors under pressure, and drivers in demand to keep people and deliveries moving, the DVLA launched the D4 waiver scheme in April 2021.
Under the programme, drivers were able to renew their licence at age 45 or over without having to submit a completed D4 medical form.
Why Are D4 Medicals Being Reinstated?
Despite the temporary change in rules, the DVLA continued to recommend medical assessments, encouraging drivers not to use the waiver unless in exceptional circumstances.
To make it happen, the DVLA and British Medical Association (BMA) have been working together to ask doctors to schedule time for professional driver medicals.
Driver medicals are an important part of the licencing process, keeping road users safe. As professional drivers know, they spend a lot of time behind the wheel, often in stressful conditions. Add tight schedules and the scale of an HGV, bus or ambulance negotiating city centres at rush hour, and being healthy and alert is vital.
Those drivers who were able to book a medical assessment and apply for a standard renewal can continue as usual. For drivers who applied under the waiver scheme, they may need to check the details of their next renewal.
Next Steps for Drivers Who Renewed Under the Medical Waiver
The D4 waiver scheme came to an end on 24th March 2022, and licence holders are once again required to pass a driver medical. This applies to anyone applying for a regularly scheduled renewal as well as those who extended under the waiver scheme whose renewal date is approaching.
While many drivers who apply for a renewal at or over 45 will not need to send in their forms again for another 5 years, those who took up the waiver were only granted a one-year extension.
This means they might need to undertake their next renewal medical sooner than usual. The DVLA should send out the renewal forms to you as the date approached. You can also check the back of your licence for details of your own upcoming renewal date.
If you need a short notice driver medical to meet the reinstated requirements, contact My Driver Medical today.