Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

I got my HGV renewal forms recently, included was the D4 medical form which needs to be completed by a doctor.

My own GP wanted £120, i rang around a few more GP's and the lowest i could find was £100, one of them wanted £160. I did a google on HGV medicals and found a place that does them for £51. Its deffo an eye opener what GP's charge for this when whats involved is little more than them putting a few X's in the boxes on a medical questionnaire, deffo shop around.

Ellie*

But does google bring up someone actually qualified to sign the form?

Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

http://www.driversmedicals.com/_about_us.html

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

01777 800 256 drivers medical centre
9 locations around country
C/O The Transport Cafe £43.20
Need to take along your D4 , GP'S details
And inform if on any medication

john banks

If someone is paying themselves and it is uncomplicated we charge £50. Done properly in a complex case with a lot of medical history it can easily take an hour and the fees don't cover our costs in all cases. Not just box ticking, involves examination. Overheads include a share of indemnity insurance, premises and staff costs. As HGV drivers get older, the health aspects can be complex. In a young, fit person it is easy for all, I wonder how the companies doing them all for £50 would handle the complex cases?

Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

John, i rang quite a few Doctors anonymously to get the best quote, the rates above were what they would be charging regardless of anyone's medical history.

Fair enough if they had said it was on a scale depending on how healthy you are and how quick the medical would be, they didn't as they were the flat rates. I'm not even sure if they fill in the first page of the D4 as that says it needs to be filled in by an optician, taking your blood pressure doesn't take long at all, blowing into a tube doesn't take long, if they do your eyes then reading the board doesn't take long. You even take your own urine these days as thats what the majority asked for, that could be anyone's lol

I doubt you would be in for more than 30 mins.

john banks

Our receptionists tell people £150 too. The form I last completed was different, must have only been about six weeks ago. It did not offer that the optician could do the visual testing, and it implied (and we have always done) cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological examination. For example, it would ask if there was a history of, or evidence on examination of... That meant we had to examine. When public safety and someone's livelihood are at stake the examinations on the older diabetics with vascular disease are a fine line, and they need more regular examinations so HGV medicals seem a lot more complicated to me than you and doing those properly with review of notes for accurate history can take an hour. If they are done annually but the easy ones are done every 5 years then I suppose the easier ones are subsidising the complex ones if you are charged a flat fee. The forms we have been doing for someone completely well could just about be done in 30 mins, again doing it properly. Personally, I am not out to rip off the hard working self employed, but you would not get the equivalent from a lawyer for £50.

tony de wonderful

I just had to do a medical. Cost £600. Paid by the company of course.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Locally, a retired doctor did them for £20 cash.

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Hello ( is no 1 listening
Iv gave the nmbr out £43.20
If you can beat that John banks then I'll push 150 drivers in your direction

tony de wonderful

Is that really necessary? You can get behind the wheel of a 200 mph Ferrari without a medical.

Seems like being overzealous if you ask me.

chopperman

Thank for the heads up. Mine expired last march and i didn't bother renewing due to the doctor quoted me over £200. At this price its worth doing just so i keep my class 1 . ADR ran out too but im not going to bother with that.

john banks

Thanks jazzy, but not at that rate thanks. Tdw I do not think our interpretation of what is required is over zealous, the forms are quite clear. Ferraris aren't going to do as much damage to bus shelters of schoolchildren at the speed limit compared to an HGV. They also handle better and tend not to do many miles. I have discovered significant safety issues in these examinations which can prevent accidents and are treatable - like abdominal aortic aneurysm. As usual on scoobynet I am standing up for something I am not guilty of anyway

tony de wonderful

So you're saying Ferraris cause less accidents per mile driven than HGV's?

Saying you need a medical 'cos you are doing something with a modicum of risk is the road to us needing medicals to push shopping trollies. Great for the medical profession I suppose who make more $$$'s. To fly a 747 I can understand, but a van?

Ellie*

But it's not a van is it, it could be a 40tonne wagon.
They are driving HGVs on our roads, for what-40,50 hours every week?
I'd like to know they're safe to be doing it when there's one behind me or coming in the opposite direction.

A Ferrari driven for a few miles on a few weekends of British summer is hardly a comparison to a HGV doing hundreds of miles a week, with a driver probably under pressure all day, or night, to reach their destinations.

b road blaster

true about the stress of said hgv driver, but mr van or ferrari driver doesn't have to stop after 4 hr's for taco break to keep legel or take proper time off after 9/10 hrs.
Mr van driver can drive 24 hr a day with no medical so personly i would say he could be at more risk of being unfit to drive.
Ok i maybe slighty biased as i have lost my hgv due to diabetes as they say i may have a blackout due to going low that i undestand, but i can still drive a agricultural lime spreader that is wider and longer than most hgv's and with no restictions on hr's worked so where is the sence in that.