What happens during an HGV Driving Medical

Learn what happens during an HGV driver medical, what’s check during the examination, common medical conditional to be aware of, and what you need before applying for your HGV licence.

What happens during an HGV Driving Medical

Doctors who undertake Medicals for drivers on behalf of DVLA have been given clear but simple instructors to check the general health of people wanting to drive Heavy Goods Vehicles and hold their LGV – Large Goods Vehicle Licence.

It is a basic health check. No ECG, no injections, no urine checks. 

Why do you Need an HGV Driver Medical?

The DVLA’s main concern is your fitness to drive. They want to avoid major incidences or catastrophes on the public highway should a lorry driver become incapacitated when in control of a fully laden truck. It’s in all road users interests that the driver and the doctor completes regular and thorough health checks.

When do you need an HGV medical?

Any driver aged over 18 up to 45 years of age need a medical before they can apply for their HGV licence. Every 5 years thereafter drivers must self-declare that they are still ‘fit to drive’ and have not encountered or suffered from any medical condition that may affect them and effectively cause a review into holding their HGV licence. Just before a driver turns 45 years of age they must take a physical medical and meet with a doctor to again get ‘signed-off’ as fit for another 5 years. And presuming there has been no other health issues this process continues until the driver reaches the age of 65 when they must have a medical every year to keep holding their HGV/LGV entitlement.

What happens during the medical?

When you arrive at the Medical Centre, or at our Park Royal office, if you haven’t already done so, drivers can receive help to complete the DVLA forms. The Medical Report Form is called D4 and the Application for Provisional HGV / LGV Licence is known as D2.

Drivers meet the doctor, and if not your own GP, the doctor will ask you about your health, ask to see any details of any medication you may have brought with you, and ask you to complete an eyesight and blood pressure check. Then presuming all in is satisfactory the doctor will sign the form, and stamp it, quoting their General Medical Council Registered medical practitioners’ number next to their signature, ready for the forms to be sent to DVLA at Swansea.

Identity and Medical History

The doctor wants to be sure they have the correct person attending for the medical, so if they haven’t met the driver before, they usually ask for ID like a driver’s licence. And, unless the doctor has access to your medical records, it is a good idea to take any prescription medication details to the appointment then this information can be added to the form as required.

Eyesight Assessment

The doctor will check your Eyesight (often using a Snellens Chart). If you wear Glasses or Lenses having the Opticians Prescription details to show the Doctor is very helpful. After the eye test, if the doctor is not happy with the results of the eyesight check the driver will be required to visit an Optician and get Glasses or Lenses to meet the DVLA’s requirements.

Blood Pressure Check

It is a common occurrence that if someone is a little anxious about their medical then their Blood Pressure reading reflects this. Sometimes a doctor will encourage the driver leave the medical room and to return after a little walk, maybe drinking some water, but definitely no caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee. Often, after this short break, the drivers blood pressure has returned to normal the doctor can continue with the rest of the form. If the blood pressure remains high the doctor may recommend visiting a GP for a course of medication to get the Blood Pressure within normal readings, and then to return to the doctor to complete the rest of the D4 application form within a few weeks.

However, if already on Blood Pressure Medication, details should be brought to the medical together with three recent readings (taken at home, say over the last couple of days) and combined with the doctors’ readings on the day which all confirm that the drivers Blood Pressure is within the DVLA required limits will mean the application can go ahead without further delay.

General Heath Assessment

During the Medical, as well as the above, the Doctor will also ask the driver about their medical history, including:

Neurological Disorders – anything relating to the nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and all the nerves in the body.
Diabetes – to confirm if the driver is unaffected or on medication for type 1 or type 2.
Cardiac – relating to the heart, if all clear or any problems and blood pressure check.
And a final check for any other conditions – such as Psychiatric, Substance Misuse, Sleep Disorders, etc.
Should any of the above, or other medical conditions, come to light the Doctor would most likely be unable to complete the D4 form and would refer the driver to their own GP.

Completing the D4 Medical Form

The driver part-completes the form with their name, address and their contact details as well as their own GP’s details. Then, presuming there are no health-related queries the D4 form can be completed by the Doctor and finally on the last page of the D4 form the driver completes their Declaration and then Signs and dates the form.

How long does it take to complete the HGV Medical?

Generally, it only takes around 20 minutes for the doctor to complete the D4 Medical Report Form unless further information is required due to the driver’s medical history or licence background.

Medical Conditions that may affect your application

- Diabetes – If treated by diet does not need to be reported to DVLA. However, car and lorry drivers should be aware of the strict rules which vary according to how your Diabetes is controlled either by tablets or non-insulin injections, or by insulin. Full details can be found on https://www.gov.uk/diabetes-driving

- Epilespsy – drivers who have had epileptic seizures while awake and lost consciousness are unlikely to be able to obtain their HGV Provisional Licence, or indeed to keep their HGV licence (if they had one) without regular reviews which may mean loosing their licence for a number of years. Full details can be found on https://www.gov.uk/epilepsy-and-driving

- Heart Conditions – the DVLA have provided a full list of heart conditions on the GovUK Website and drivers should check their situation before organising an HGV Medical as it maybe that they are ineligible to hold a HGV licence. Here is the link - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cardiovascular-disorders-assessing-fitness-to-drive

- Sleep Apnoea - Excessive sleepiness causing difficulty in concentrating and falling asleep at work or when driving has serious consequences. Drivers with this condition may need medical intervention and should consult their own GP for assistance.

- For drivers with Diabetes, Epilepsy, Sleep Apnoea or Heart Conditions we recommend doing a medical with their own GP rather than booking an HGV Medical through a School or a Clinic, because without access to drivers health records and medical history other doctors would be unable to fully complete the D4 medical report form.


Can you fail an HGV Medical?

Generally, drivers who are under the age of 45 fortunately have very few complicated health problems and it normally takes only 7 to 10 working days for the Provisional HGV licence to be issued by DVLA after they receive the applications forms. 

However, if a driver has medical conditions, which are not severe, then a standard medical can be arranged as DVLA will review each application as it arrives to see if it needs to be put towards DVLA Medical Board. 

If the licence application and Medical Form needs to be referred to the Medical Board because the driver has more complex Medical Conditions this process takes a while. The Medical Board only sits around every 4 to 6 weeks and sometimes they may ask for additional information before being able to make a decision. Often the Medical Board don’t have time to go through all the applications so those not dealt with will get put in pile ready for the next time the Medical Board sit.

Only after the Medical Board has made a ruling would a driver with medical condition(s) know if their HGV licence will or will not be issued.

What happens after your medical?

When completed the D4 Medical Report Form and the D2 Licence Application Form are sent to DVLA Swansea together with the drivers existing driving licence. And then, if it’s a straight forward application, the new licence arrives back to the driver at their home address in around two to three weeks.

The Provisional HGV entitlement is shown on the Gov. UK website. Be aware, the drivers driving licence will look almost exactly the same as their old one, the main change being a revised issue number. To see the Provisional HGV licence the driver should visit Share My Licence or View my Licence on the Gov. UK website.

How much does the HGV medical cost?

A driver can organise the medical themselves at a cost of around £60. If the driver wants additional support from their chosen HGV Driving School they might prefer to pay a Package or a Bundle that not only includes completing the Medical but also provides Learning Material for the driver to learn and prepare for their HGV Theory Tests while they wait for DVLA to return their licence.

Before a driver can sit their Theory Tests – Module 1a Multiple Choice and Module 1b Hazard Perception (and the Module 2 Driver CPC Case Study if needed) the driver must have received their new driving licence, with the correct HGV Provisional Entitlement, and take the licence with them when attending the DVSA Theory Test Centre. Remember, No Licence, No Test!

When will I need another HGV Medical?

That depends on how old the driver is and their present health conditions. 

As mentioned, drivers need to renew their licence at age 45, but otherwise, every 5 years thereafter, or every fifth anniversary year of when they gained their licence, up to just before they turn 65 years old, when the licence medical must be completed every year. A medical may also be requested at other times say due to the driver’s medical history, but the DVLA would notify the driver of this, usually when the HGV licence is issued or when DVLA are told of a change of drivers health situation.

Is there a fee to obtain the HGV licence?

The provisional application is free, but if the driver wants to make other changes to the licence there may be a charge. At the back of the D2 Licence Application Form there is a list of charges which might be applicable.

Start your HGV Training with Wallace School of Transport

Wallace is very experienced helping drivers with their application forms and in organising medicals both for the Privately Sponsored Driver or for Drivers who are Sponsored by the Company or an Organisation.

We welcome you to contact us Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm on 0208 453 3440 to discuss your requirements and we can talk you through the options.