On the day
The medical takes 20–30 minutes. Arriving with the right paperwork is the difference between leaving with a completed form and having to come back.
Location
We are in Stapeley, on the south-east edge of Nantwich, with free off-road parking. Detailed directions are sent when you book.
What to bring
- Your driving glasses. Bring the glasses you wear to drive — we test you with those. If you wear contact lenses, that's fine — but the test is done both with and without correction, so you'll need to take them out during the examination and put them back in afterwards. Bring your case and solution, or if that's a faff, come without them in and put them in for the test. If you think you're borderline, or your prescription has changed, see an optician first so you arrive with the best correction you can get. More people fail the eye test with us than fail the medical — and most of them then go to an optician, get new glasses and pass. If for any reason we can't complete the vision page, an optician or optometrist can fill that page in for you. The completed D4 is only valid for four months from signing, so don't sit on it.
- A list of your medication with names and doses. If in doubt, bring the boxes.
- Dates and names of any major operations, particularly heart surgery. Your GP surgery can print a summary; under GDPR they should do this free of charge, but they have up to 28 days, so ask before you book the medical.
- The name of any consultant you are under and what you are being treated for.
- Your form, if you have been sent one. We can print the standard D4 if needed.
- Photo ID — your driving licence is ideal.
- The NHS App, set up on your phone — it shows your medication, conditions and test results, so most of the above is already there. How to install it (ten minutes, do it before the day).
Take your usual medication
Please take your normal tablets on the day. Skipping blood-pressure medication before a medical is surprisingly common and it reliably produces a high reading that then has to be sorted out.
What happens in the examination
- Eye test. Each eye separately, with and without glasses, then fields of vision and a few other checks. We can only test you with the pair you arrive in.
- Medical history. We go through the questions on the form with you. There are a lot of them.
- Examination. Heart, lungs, blood pressure, height and weight, and a urine test — you will be asked for a sample on the day, so don't go straight before.
- Going through the form. We explain what we have found and what it means. We don't make the licensing decision: the examiner's job is to give the DVLA accurate information, and the DVLA decides.
You leave with the completed form and a receipt if you want one.
Common questions
My blood pressure is on the high side. Will I fail?
The D4 has a blood-pressure threshold. A single high reading isn't the end of it — we can repeat it, and if it stays high the usual route is to see your own GP to get it treated and then have the reading re-done. Taking your medication on the day avoids most of this.
Do I need to see an optician before the medical?
Usually not — the eye test is part of the medical and we do it here. The exceptions are people with a field-of-vision problem or a very complicated prescription, who will need an optician to complete the vision page. If you haven't had your eyes checked for a while and think you might be borderline, get them checked first: it's the commonest reason for a second visit.
Do you send the form to the DVLA?
No — you take it away with you and send it with your licence application. Keep a copy.
Do you need my GP records?
We can't see them ourselves, so yes in effect — but the easiest way is the NHS App on your phone, which has your medicines and results in it. Failing that, a GP summary printout saves a second visit.