Older motorists are facing long delays when waiting for medical decisions for their driving licences, amid fears they could be forced off the road.
Motorists are required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a “notifiable” medical condition or disability, or if a condition or disability has worsened since they received their licence.
Notifiable conditions could impact their ability to drive safely and can include diabetes, fainting, heart conditions and epilepsy.
People must inform the DVLA of any medical condition if it impacts their ability behind the wheel, or they could face a £1,000 fine or even prosecution if they are involved in an accident.
In recent months, a growing number of drivers have complained about the medical licence system being “too slow”, with some reporting months-long waits for updates.
Vikki Slade, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, described the DVLA as being “stuck in manual”, given the standard use of postal letters, rather than relying on faster digital systems.
Data from the DVLA shows that 723,126 medical decisions were made for drivers in 2023, a significant drop compared to 863,431 the previous year.
More than 213,000 of these decisions took longer than 60 working days to complete, while 55,854 drivers had to wait longer than six months.
Elderly drivers have complained that they face long delays when renewing their licence if they have a medical condition
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The DVLA’s 2025-2026 Business Plan included a target for the average time to make a licensing decision on medical cases to be within 50 working days.
It added that it would maintain its collaboration with medical professionals for driving licence applications, with a decision being made as promptly as possible.
However, new data suggests that drivers are waiting longer than anticipated for a medical decision regarding their licence, according to ITV.
One driver, Glenda Edwards, said she had applied for a new licence in January and declared that she had glaucoma, but has since been told by her doctor that she doesn’t have the condition.
Elderly drivers have to renew their licence every three years once they reach 70 years of age | GETTY
Despite this, the 82-year-old has been left unable to contact the DVLA to update her application, noting that she doesn’t use her car as much as she used to.
A friend of Glenda’s told ITV: “She’s been very distressed by it. More so because she doesn’t have her licence and she’s worried about being stopped by the police.”
In a recent Parliament debate, Transport Minister Simon Lightwood noted that more than 830,000 medical licence decisions had been made in 2024-2025 alone.
He apologised for the delays and those who had been impacted, adding that the Government and DVLA were working to “put things right”.
The DVLA said it aimed to make a decision for most medical applications within 50 working days
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DVLAIn response, Claire Young, Lib Dem MP for Thornbury and Yate, said one of her constituents had lost out on more than £60,000 because of delays to the licensing procedure.
The DVLA has also apologised to customers who had faced long waiting times for their driving licences, noting that it has dealt with “exceptionally high demand” for applications.
A spokesperson continued, saying: “When we have the information we need, we always aim to make a decision as quickly as possible.
“Our staff are working hard to reduce delays, and we have introduced a new casework system which is expected to deliver significant improvements as more customers transact via our new online system.”