renew medical

lolipop:
Well said Dozy could not agree more.

As ususal…

He’s missing the point (which is deliberate these days because he’s an arse).

Anyone is entitled to visit their GP and ask for a health check if you wanna fork out the £150 it costs. If you feel unwell at any time, you can get a diagnosis one way or the other anyway. The fact that after 45, we’re forced to have a medical is the only way some of us ever get checked at all. If you only ever work on the pointy shoe side of the world, chances are you won’t take any medicals at all because you don’t have to. As I’ve mentioned already, there is a wealth of older man checks available through the NHS. Go and get one and then wander around smugly thinking you’re invincible just seconds before you get taken out by a drunk driver in a twocked car.

The D4 medical is there to ensure some sort of basic health check takes place and our industry isn’t full of half blind, heart attack risk drivers in charge of 44 tons. It’s not there to diagnose a rare form of lymphoma.

edit; typo gobbledygook

yourhavingalarf:

lolipop:
Well said Dozy could not agree more.

As ususal…

He’s missing the point (which is deliberate these days because he’s an arse).

Anyone is entitled to visit their GP and ask for a health check if you wanna fork out the £150 it costs. If you feel unwell at any time, you can get a diagnosis one way or the other anyway. The fact that after 45, we’re forced to have a medical is the only way some of us ever get checked at all. If you only ever work on the pointy shoe side of the world, chances are you won’t take any medicals at all because you don’t have to. As I’ve mentioned already, there is a wealth of older man checks available through the NHS. Go and get one and then wander around smugly thinking you’re invincible just seconds before you get taken out by a drunk driver in a twocked car.

The D4 medical is there to ensure some sort of basic health check takes place and our industry isn’t full of half blind, heart attack risk drivers in charge of 44 tons. It’s not there to diagnose a rare form of lymphoma.

edit; typo gobbledygook

No he is not the one missing the point, the "cheap"medical is only a very basic one enough to get your licence. Where as if your own GP is worth his salt he will give you a thorough check up and his findings will go on your health records as well as on the required D4. To many think they are OK for another 5 years just because they have had one of these cheap medicals and passed.

lolipop:

yourhavingalarf:

lolipop:
Well said Dozy could not agree more.

As ususal…

He’s missing the point (which is deliberate these days because he’s an arse).

Anyone is entitled to visit their GP and ask for a health check if you wanna fork out the £150 it costs. If you feel unwell at any time, you can get a diagnosis one way or the other anyway. The fact that after 45, we’re forced to have a medical is the only way some of us ever get checked at all. If you only ever work on the pointy shoe side of the world, chances are you won’t take any medicals at all because you don’t have to. As I’ve mentioned already, there is a wealth of older man checks available through the NHS. Go and get one and then wander around smugly thinking you’re invincible just seconds before you get taken out by a drunk driver in a twocked car.

The D4 medical is there to ensure some sort of basic health check takes place and our industry isn’t full of half blind, heart attack risk drivers in charge of 44 tons. It’s not there to diagnose a rare form of lymphoma.

edit; typo gobbledygook

No he is not the one missing the point, the "cheap"medical is only a very basic one enough to get your licence. Where as if your own GP is worth his salt he will give you a thorough check up and his findings will go on your health records as well as on the required D4. To many think they are OK for another 5 years just because they have had one of these cheap medicals and passed.

So what happens if you go to your GP, pay a fortune, get a ■■■■■ cheap service anyway, either because you’ve not raised any concerns or they just do the basic that you’ve paid them for (the form).

lolipop:
To many think they are OK for another 5 years just because they have had one of these cheap medicals and passed.

I’m sorry but…

I’m not following what you’re saying. The DVLA insist on you taking a medical examination every 5 years after the age of 45. Therefore, they must feel that’s an acceptable time frame.
The D4 is deemed sufficient enough in it’s brevity to cover a driver for 5 years. Why is that so difficult to understand?
I’ve said twice now, if you want a medical, go get one. If you feel you need a test for something, go to your GP and ask for a check up. I follow the NHS adult health check plan and I’ve had a PSA check, paid privately for a pnuemonia jab, what more should I do?
I am not saying that you shouldn’t see a doctor just because you have a D4 medical every 5 years.

yourhavingalarf:

lolipop:
To many think they are OK for another 5 years just because they have had one of these cheap medicals and passed.

I’m sorry but…

I’m not following what you’re saying. The DVLA insist on you taking a medical examination every 5 years after the age of 45. Therefore, they must feel that’s an acceptable time frame.
The D4 is deemed sufficient enough in it’s brevity to cover a driver for 5 years. Why is that so difficult to understand?
I’ve said twice now, if you want a medical, go get one. If you feel you need a test for something, go to your GP and ask for a check up. I follow the NHS adult health check plan and I’ve had a PSA check, paid privately for a pnuemonia jab, what more should I do?
I am not saying that you shouldn’t see a doctor just because you have a D4 medical every 5 years.

As Dozy refers to its what they don`t detect at these cheap medicals,because they get or give a positive YES to questions even though the the person knows full well if he/she gave a sign of a negative answer its a means it could be a possible fail.

lolipop:

yourhavingalarf:

lolipop:
To many think they are OK for another 5 years just because they have had one of these cheap medicals and passed.

I’m sorry but…

I’m not following what you’re saying. The DVLA insist on you taking a medical examination every 5 years after the age of 45. Therefore, they must feel that’s an acceptable time frame.
The D4 is deemed sufficient enough in it’s brevity to cover a driver for 5 years. Why is that so difficult to understand?
I’ve said twice now, if you want a medical, go get one. If you feel you need a test for something, go to your GP and ask for a check up. I follow the NHS adult health check plan and I’ve had a PSA check, paid privately for a pnuemonia jab, what more should I do?
I am not saying that you shouldn’t see a doctor just because you have a D4 medical every 5 years.

As Dozy refers to its what they don`t detect at these cheap medicals,because they get or give a positive YES to questions even though the the person knows full well if he/she gave a sign of a negative answer its a means it could be a possible fail.

Surely you would give the same answer to your top dollar own GP, because you want to get the license?

Probably the £50 medicals should be phased out. I see some bus and lorry drivers and wonder how they could possibly be deemed fit for driving work! Like the DCPC its a box ticking exercise. Most on here will remember the Glasgow bin lorry driver. he falsified his record and passed his medical.

I’m assuming you all take your cars to an official dealership to be serviced? Well you are carrying your most precious belongings in the passenger seats so surely you do!

the maoster:
I’m assuming you all take your cars to an official dealership to be serviced? Well you are carrying your most precious belongings in the passenger seats so surely you do!

Are you being serious?

It’s called an analogy, are you struggling with the concept? Perhaps a visit to a medical professional would help.

My surgery is manned by locums and in the past six years I have had two appointments, one with a doctor and one with a nurse/practitioner.

Another issue is the inability of so called “healthcare professionals” who cannot carry out blood pressure tests to the guidelines set out by the NHS and then inform you that you have high blood pressure.

the maoster:
It’s called an analogy, are you struggling with the concept? Perhaps a visit to a medical professional would help.

Ok, I understand. But I’m not sure which side you’re using it to support?
I wouldn’t dream of paying main dealer Volvo service rates, because I have no qualms that using a local independent would in any way put my family at risk.

^^^ that was my point. Using your local garage makes perfect sense and I fully endorse that, so why would I pay £150+ to my own gp when I can get a cheap one as part of the box ticking exercise and then continue to have my free biannual health check with my own doctor? The only difference is he’s making notes instead of filling a government form in.

Hi There, Are you sure about that?? Reason for asking is that i let my licence run out by not having the medical. Not long after i contacted the DVLA and asked them if i could renew it and got told that yes i could, and that there was no time limit as i still had the entitlement on my records and just had to do the medical. When i looked on the licence cheker thingy yesterday it says that my licence has expired and after looking on the internet everything i see says that if you do not renew it within two years you have to take your test again… Do not know what to think now…

john…

john78, if you do not renew your LGV, you still need to send away the form to confirm you are reverting to standard car licence. If you do nothing, your licence expires.

Plus, as it stands, renewing an LGV licence is free, whereas I think renewing a car one costs (although I think you do get 10 years on the car licence rather than 5 years).

1 Like

It is my HGV that is marked as expired, my other licences [bike and car] are unaffected

john…

It depends on how old you are.
Everyone’s driving licence for everything runs out when they reach the age of 70.
The licence for everything apart from a truck or bus does not lapse in between
passing the test and reaching 70 years of age

Renewal of any licence is free of charge thereafter.

Unless it is for a truck or bus, the renewed licence lasts only for three years and must be renewed again, for another three years and so on, until you don’t want to renew it, you physically cannot drive any more, or you are dead.
Some of us might wonder if there are in fact those in the second two categories who are still behind the wheel.

The HGV entitlement runs out at the age of 45.
From the age of 45, the HGV licence renewal relies on having successfully passed a medical and an eyesight test.
The renewed licence lasts for five years.

Once you reach the age of 65, the renewed HGV licence lasts for only one year and for each successive year, a further medical and eyesight test is required.
I will be 72 this year and still hold and use mine, albeit part time these days.

Renew your driving licence if you’re 70 or over - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There is no time limit on the renewal of an expired HGV entitlement.

Amazingly, there is no requirement for either a medical, or an eyesight test, for any other licence than a truck or bus, so once you have signed the form that declares that you are fit and that your eyesight is up to the required standard, off you go for another three years.

1 Like

photo card for a car needs updating/ renewing every 10 years however as lorry drivers over 45 that is irreverent as you have to pass a medical and get a new entitlement every 5 years

1 Like

However, you only need to update the photo every ten years, you don’t send a photo in with the application to renew as a matter of course.
In fact, if you have any sense, you don’t send in your licence either, there is no guarantee of a timely renewal and even an expired HGV licence is valid for a year after the expiry, subject to there not being any change in your medical condition, still being able to see where you are going and that you have sent the application in, of course.

Section 88 of The Road Traffic
Act 1988 may allow you to
continue driving even though
you do not hold a current
driving licence.
In practice, this will be when you
have applied to the DVLA to renew
your licence, but the licence expires
(runs out) while we are processing
the application.
DVLA guidance is here

1 Like

john78, I think you mean entitlements. You only have one licence at at a time and even if your entitlements run on for decades if you don’t have a current licence then you can’t drive.

If I take what you said literally: “i let my licence run out by not having a medical”, then it sounds like you didn’t renew by one of the valid methods (by post, online or at a post office). Maybe you did renew, but it isn’t what you said, that is all.

1 Like