DVLA medical questionnaire consultation

The DVLA wants your views on allowing a wider range of health professionals to fill in medical questionnaires.

If you have a driving licence, you must tell the licensing agency that you have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as it is a 'notifiable' condition.

• DVLA (Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Agency) - If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, this is the agency to contact.
• DVA (Drivers and Vehicle Agency) - If you live in Northern Ireland, this is the agency to contact.

The DVLA or DVA will send you a questionnaire to assess any impact of MS on your driving performance and will contact your GP or neurologist to check that you are safe to drive. There is no medical reason to prevent driving, you will be allowed to keep your licence. In most cases, your licence will be changed to a short-term medical driving licence which will need to be renewed every three to five years.

The DVLA propose amending the law so that a broader range of health professionals can fill in medical questionnaires.

Currently, only a doctor registered with the General Medical Council is authorised to provide medical reports to the DVLA. Other health professionals, such as specialist nurses, are often more closely involved with someone’s healthcare and would be well placed to complete the medical forms. The DVLA believes that changing the law to allow an appropriate registered healthcare professional, other than a doctor, to fill in a medical questionnaire, will give GP surgeries and hospital teams greater flexibility, reduce workload on doctors and improve the time taken to process applications.

The DVLA wants to hear your views on this proposal. The consultation closes on 6 December 2021.

Read more about the proposed change to the law and take part in the consultation.