Driving and Syncope

Patients in the UK have a legal duty to inform the DVLA about any condition likely to affect their ability to drive safely.  You can contact the DVLA:

By phone. DVLA drivers’ medical enquiries: Telephone: 0300 790 6806
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5:30pm. Saturday, 8am to 1pm

By webchat. Use the webchat service to contact DVLA about your driving and medical issues.

By email. You can email DVLA to tell them about your driving and medical issues.

By post:
Drivers’ Medical Enquiries
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1TU

Where the individual concerned is uncertain about the need to contact the DVLA, he/she should seek advice from their GP or relevant specialist or contact the DVLA directly for advice. Failure to notify their insurance company may also affect the validity of his/her insurance. This includes life insurance and health insurance as well as car insurance.

When a patient contacts the DVLA, he/she may be informed that they may continue to drive (Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act) whilst investigations are being undertaken provided they have not been advised to cease doing so by their GP and/or specialist (and have actively sought that opinion) and hold a valid driving license.

The doctor’s duty is to advise his/her patient when they should cease to drive and notify the DVLA. Where the doctor is uncertain he/she should consult “Assessing fitness to drive – a guide for medical professionals.“

Doctors may consult with the DVLA Medical Advisors on an anonymous case basis OR on a named basis with the individual’s permission OR when there is evidence that an individual continues to drive despite being advised that he/she is unfit to do so. The GMC has produced specific guidelines on this aspect.

DVLA guidelines for syncope are constantly updated. The latest guidelines (May 2022) can be found here – see pages 21 – 26.

Back to Syncope.