Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers medical applications were waiting to be processed as on 1 September (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

The table below shows the number of drivers medical cases waiting to be resolved on 1 September 2021 and 1 September 2022. The figures include new applications/notifications and driving licence renewal applications. It is important to note that the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, for example NHS medical professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made. Currently, around 47 per cent of cases are awaiting information from a third party.

The length of time taken to deal with an application for a driving licence where a medical condition must be investigated depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information or clinical tests are required from healthcare professionals.

To reduce waiting times for customers, the law was changed on 20 July to widen the pool of healthcare professionals who can provide medical information to support an application for a driving licence. The DVLA has also recruited more staff and opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham which are focused on medical applications.

It is important to note that most applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they meet specific criteria. More information can be found online here.