DVLA

The BMA has recently finalised agreement with the DVLA to increase the following arrangements covering a three-year period commencing 1 April 2026:

• Effective 1 January 2026: The Standard questionnaire fee will increase to £50 for both GPs and consultants, thus harmonising these rates. This rate will remain in effect until 31 March 2026.
• Effective 1 April 2026: The Standard questionnaire fee for both GPs and consultants will rise to £62.
• Effective 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2028: An annual uplift in line with CPI inflation (measured in September), capped at 5%, will be applied to the Standard questionnaire fee.
• If inflation exceeds 5%, a review and agreement on the uplift will be required.

Please note that:

Practices must not charge patients for the report, including a ‘top-up’ amount.

Practices can charge more than the standard fees as listed above. GPs can negotiate with the DVLA any fee they wish. If you decide to do so, the BMA advises that practices write to the DVLA when receiving a request to state what their fee will be and giving the DVLA (say) 14 days to respond if they disagree. If the DVLA do not respond, the GP practice would be in an improved position to recover the full fee if there was later a dispute.

The legislation expressly states that no other person is responsible for the fees so the driver cannot be charged.  

The BMA have circulated a letter to the profession setting out the fees that the DVLA are willing to pay GPs for medical information or an examination under section 94(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. However, the GP can negotiate with the DVLA any fee they wish. What is a reasonable fee will take into account the complexity of work involved and the GP’s overheads.  

If a GP wishes to recover a fee beyond the fees the DVLA have stated that they are willing to pay, the GP can write to the DVLA in response to a s94(5)request. This should put the DVLA on notice as to the likely level of fee and giving the DVLA (say) 14 days to respond if they disagree. If the DVLA do not respond, the GP practice would be in an improved position to recover the full fee if there was later a dispute.

We would recommend contacting the BMA for guidance on recovering monies due in respect of unpaid invoices.

Applying for and renewing your lorry and bus licence with a D4 medical form

In consultation with the British Medical Association (BMA), GPs have agreed to aim to accommodate D4 medical appointments for working drivers to make sure that they are available to the transport industry.

If your lorry or bus driving licence is due to expire as normal, or if you’ve been issued a 1-year licence without a D4 medical report that is due to expire:

1. You’ll have been sent an ‘application for renewal of lorry and bus entitlement’ form 2 months before the licence expiry date.
2. You should arrange for an appointment for a D4 medical examination with a doctor and an optician as soon as you receive the reminder.
3. After the examination, fill in the form and send it to the address on the form as soon as possible and before the licence expiry date.

If your lorry or bus driving licence was automatically extended by 11 months:

1. You will not be sent another ‘application for renewal of lorry and bus entitlement’ form  before your 11 month extension ends. You’ll have received a reminder letter, before the original expiry date that told you if you need to have a D4 medical examination to renew your licence.
2. If you’ve not kept the reminder you should order a D2 pack and book an appointment with  a doctor and an optician for a D4 medical examination as soon as possible but no earlier than 2 months before the automatic extension to your licence is due to expire.

Book your D4 medical examination as soon as possible

Your appointment could be in several weeks so you need to be flexible about when you can attend.

Remember to take your:

• spectacles (when going to your optician’s appointment) if you need to wear them for driving
• current driving licence and ‘application for renewal of lorry and bus entitlement form
• take confirmation of employment or offer of employment if you’re applying for a provisional licence for a lorry or bus driving licence or its already expired

Temporary scheme for 1-year lorry and bus driving licences (without a D4)

The temporary scheme, put in place because of the impact of coronavirus on NHS doctors, to issue 1 year lorry and bus licences to driver aged 45 and over without a D4 is ongoing but only in exceptional circumstances, if you are unable to get a D4 medical examination.

The D4 waiver scheme only applies under the following conditions:

• if your lorry or bus driving licence expires after 1 January 2020 
• you have not already been issued a 1 year licence in this scheme

If your licence shows your entitlement to drive lorries and buses expired between 1 August and 31 December 2020, and was automatically extended for 11 months, you cannot apply to the D4 waiver scheme for a one year licence without a D4. You must renew, with a D4, when your 11 month extension is due to expire.

Only in exceptional circumstances should you apply to DVLA without the D4 medical report.

Further information

BMA guidance to GPs to accommodate D4 medical examinations for working drivers excludes car driving licence renewals with small lorry (C1, C1E (107)) and minibus (D1 (101) and D1 (101,119)) entitlements issued before 1997 where these entitlements are used for driving large recreational vehicles rather than for working in the transport sector. D4 appointments may be available from private sector providers but these may also be subject to delay.

You may have received a reminder letter asking you to provide a D4 medical form. If you cannot get a D4 medical appointment before you renew you can still apply for a car driving licence and reapply for the above entitlements after your D4 medical examination and application form has been filled in.