Doctors to report unfit patients to the DVLA
Under new driver rules from the General Medial Council (GMC), doctors will be required to report any driver to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they feel that they are unfit to drive.
The idea behind this is move it said to make the roads safe and protect the public from being involved in accidents. However, there is an underlying problem for doctors as they too could be sued for negligence if one of their patients who should not be driving through ill health has an accident.
The GMC guidance states, "If you do not manage to persuade the patient to stop driving, or you consider that they are continuing to drive against your advice, you should contact the DVLA immediately and disclose any relevant medical information, in confidence, to the medical adviser."
Nevertheless, there are issues of age too, the problem with older drivers is that they may be fit but have slow reactions; one doctor may see this is a problem, while another would not its subjective.
The Patients' Association spokesperson said: "I don't think doctors would be sued if a patient went out and caused a crash - it would be the driver's negligence, not theirs.
"I can see why they have revised this guidance but we have to be very careful we don't go too far down this road.
"More and more we see there are inroads into this view that doctors should not breach confidentiality."
However should who is able to drive be down to a GP or rather down to the DVLA.
Hugh Bladon, a spokesperson for the Association of British Drivers lobby group, said: "I think it's a bit of a slippery slope. It seems we're doing everything we can to stop people driving. It's just one more way of forcing people off the road.
"I don't think the GP should be in any bother if they've just told the patient their concerns. I don't like the idea of them getting straight on the phone to the DVLA and breaking their confidentiality rule.
"If a GP made it absolutely clear that they have told a patient their concerns, making notes if necessary, that's what I'd prefer."
Source [Telegraph]
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