The number of medical cases dealt with by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has increased from 656,000 in 2013/14 to 741,000 in 2017/18.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> Since April 2013, the number of staff in the DVLA\u2019s medical section has increased by 218. This includes an increase in the number of doctors employed from 22 to 36. Ten nurses were also recruited for the first time in 2017. The doctors and nurses employed by the DVLA deal with the most complex medical cases.<\/p> <\/p> During this time, DVLA has also made significant changes to IT systems and processes to improve customer service and increase efficiency. This includes the online service introduced in October 2016 to allow customers to notify the DVLA of a medical condition or renew a driving licence previously issued following a medical condition.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-02T11:54:08.98Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Staff"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the work load of the DVLA's medical section has increased in the last five years; and how many extra staff have been hired in that section in that same period.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"}
], "uin" : "129144"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/846971", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/846971/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Information is not held on the number of people who fail to comply with their legal obligation to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of a medical condition that may affect their fitness to drive.<\/p> The UK\u2019s roads are among the safest in the world and there is no evidence to suggest that there is a widespread road safety issue related to drivers who may be driving inappropriately due to a prescribed medical condition.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-02T09:48:23.85Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Driving Licences"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of people who did not inform the DVLA of medical conditions as required in each the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the reasons people do not so inform the DVLA.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"}
], "uin" : "129145"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/846972", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/846972/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Information about the number of people prosecuted for failing to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of a medical condition is not available.<\/p> <\/p> Decisions to prosecute in such cases are a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-02T12:22:44.723Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Driving Licences"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were prosecuted for failing to inform DVLA of medical conditions in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"}
], "uin" : "129146"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/846973", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/846973/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Doctors play an important role in the medical notification process by advising their patients of the effect of any treatment or medication that they are receiving and whether they should notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The DVLA will often correspond with a patient\u2019s doctor, consultant or optician as part of the medical investigation to determine the impact of the patient\u2019s condition on their fitness to drive. The DVLA provides a dedicated telephone line which allows doctors to discuss concerns about a patient\u2019s fitness to drive with one of the DVLA\u2019s doctors.<\/p> <\/p> A doctor may also decide to notify the DVLA directly about a patient\u2019s medical condition. This is provided for in guidance from the General Medical Council, which states that while doctors must make every reasonable effort to persuade their patients to inform the DVLA, they may themselves notify the DVLA of a patient\u2019s medical condition, in confidence, if the patient does not do so.<\/p> <\/p> To assist the medical profession the DVLA has created a dedicated form that may be used for this purpose. The DVLA treats notifications received from doctors and opticians as a high priority.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3991", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jesse Norman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hereford and South Herefordshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jesse Norman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-03-02T09:53:04.303Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Driving Licences"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provisions are in place to allow doctors to provide information to the DVLA on a person\u2019s fitness to drive.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"}
], "uin" : "129147"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843594", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/843594/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on Gov.uk and can be found at the following link:<\/p>