GP concerns lead to review of fit and proper test for St Helens cabbies

It's been revealed that Mid Mersey Local Medical Committee have requested a review of the fit and proper test for cabbies in the region.

The specific area pertaining to the fit and proper test centres around the group 2 medical examination that all cabbies in the UK are required to undertake.

Most licensing authorities in the UK adopted the DVLA model of Group 2 medicals a few years ago, which is an important element of the test and is carried out once for under 45s, every five years for drivers until the age of 65, and then annualy for over 65s.

Concerns were raised by GPs who carry out group 2 medicals over a specific question on the final page of the assessment, asking the GP if the individual met Group 2 medical standards or not, possibly leaving GPs open to a legal challenge.

As a result, GPs asked that the question be removed from the form, thus passing the  responsibility of approving a driver’s fitness over to a licensing authoritiy.

The St Helens Reporter said that at the end of 2018, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton councils all received a communique from the Mid Mersey Local Medical Committee asking for a meeting to discuss the forms the councils use for the medicals.  

The meeting, which took place in February, resulted in an agreement that any changes made would have to be adopted across the whole city region. 

On Wednesday 26 June, St Helens Council’s licensing and environmental protection committee agreed to the ammendment. 

The council report stated that detailed DVLA guidance around medicals contained enough information in a simple to understand format, and as such, regional licensing managers should feel confident enough to carry out the final decision of whether the applicant is fit and proper in terms of medical assessment.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Image Author: Russ London