Question
An increasing number of constituents are coming to me with problems getting their licence. One example was a lady who had dementia; she passed all the tests but had months of delays trying to get her licence, eventually having to take her complaint to the chief executive to get an answer, only for the licence to be backdated, meaning she will have to go through the whole rigmarole again in a few months’ time. That is not an isolated case. I have constituents with diabetes and epilepsy, who are all suffering. What is the Minister doing to ensure we can speed the process up so that people can get back on the road as soon as they are medically fit?
Answer
I recognise the hon. Member’s concerns, and I have asked for further information on some the matters he has raised. We are taking steps to tackle the issue. We have introduced a new digital casework system, we are recruiting additional staff, and the automation of routine processes is happening. Things are moving in the right direction. In 2022-23, the average number of working days to complete a medical licensing application was 89; this time last year it was 76; it is now down to 66; and we want to get it down to 45 by March next year. I can assure the hon. Member that we will do everything in our power to ensure that happens.17% vibes
Verdict: GREEN (88/100)
The reply responds directly to the question about speeding up medical licence processing. It names specific measures (a new digital casework system, additional recruitment, and automation of routine tasks), gives processing-time figures falling from 89 to 76 to 66 working days, and commits to a target of 45 days by March next year. The asker would have concrete actions, figures and a dated target to work from, so a follow-up asking the same thing again seems unlikely.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department doing to speed up the process for medical driving licence applications, so that people can return to driving as soon as they are medically fit? | Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete actions for speeding up medical licence processing: a new digital casework system, additional recruitment, and automation of routine processes. It also gives processing-time figures (89, 76, then 66 working days) and a specific target of 45 days by March next year. |