Henry Prow
11 Sept 2017 · Coroner Emma Carlyon · Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
A similar concern from this report was raised again 6 times later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. inadequate medical review of drivers with deteriorating health
“criteria required by the DVLA and Department of Transport for the issuing and surrendering of driving licences and the terms and conditions for ensuring appropriate modification of driver's vehicles”
2. vehicle modifications not updated to match current vehicle and health status
“no mechanism for ensuring the required modification to the vehicles were still relevant to the vehicle that they were driving at the time”
3. conflict of interest between medical duty and licence surrender
“driver's GP/doctors could have a conflict of interests in such situations as they would have a duty to inform the DVLA of medical issues which could result in the surrender of the driving licence”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.80 · moderate
This report
“The DVLA appears to have limited mechanisms for drivers to be formally medically reviewed for the purpose of being medically fit to drive.”
Later report
“Consideration should be given to more frequent, rigorous testing and to consider the duties that should be placed on the driver, their medical practitioners and also family members/carers to report changes in presentation or health to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.85 · high
This report
“The DVLA appears to have limited mechanisms for drivers to be formally medically reviewed for the purpose of being medically fit to drive.”
Later report
“Current DVLA working practices do not appear to allow DVLA Doctors to consider the interplay between different medical conditions an applicant may be suffering with.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.70 · moderate
This report
“There was concern, that the driver's GP/doctors could have a conflict of interests in such situations as they would have a duty to inform the DVLA of medical issues”
Later report
“For whatever reason the deceased did not seek the medical report from his own GP, who would have known about his medical condition”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.92 · high
This report
“criteria required by the DVLA and Department of Transport for the issuing and surrendering of driving licences and the terms and conditions for ensuring appropriate modification of driver's vehicles.”
Later report
“The current system for vehicle licensing relies largely upon the self-awareness of a driver and their willingness and\or ability to self-report medical conditions to the DVLA.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.80 · moderate
This report
“The DVLA appears to have limited mechanisms for drivers to be formally medically reviewed for the purpose of being medically fit to drive.”
Later report
“I heard evidence in this inquest concerning the requirement of drivers' to self-notify the DVLA of any medical conditions that may interfere with their driving.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“criteria required by the DVLA and Department of Transport for the issuing and surrendering of driving licences and the terms and conditions for ensuring appropriate modification of driver's vehicles”
Later report
“the expectation that drivers would self-report their conditions (which arises as a matter of legislation) was not being followed”
Responses
2017-0227-Response-by-Department-for-Transport.pdf ↗· Department for Transport
Stated action
“The DVLA can also issue a licence of limited duration when required, as in Mr [name redacted] case, to allow someone's fitness to drive to be closely monitored on a regular basis”