Quick answer: the HGV medical is a 20 to 30 minute examination with a GMC-registered doctor covering your medical history, eyesight, blood pressure and general health, recorded on the DVLA D4 form. Most drivers pass; the common sticking points are uncorrected eyesight and blood pressure at or above 180/100.
Most drivers pass the HGV medical, and most of the worry beforehand comes from not knowing what is checked. This is exactly what happens in the examination room, the DVLA standards the doctor measures you against, and the conditions that genuinely cause problems.
What happens at the HGV medical examination
The appointment takes 20 to 30 minutes. The doctor works through the DVLA’s D4 form with you:
- Medical history: heart conditions, diabetes, neurological conditions, sleep problems, mental health, alcohol and drug history, current medication.
- Eyesight: reading a letter chart (with your glasses or contacts if you wear them) and questions about your field of vision.
- Blood pressure: measured on the day, rechecked during the appointment if the first reading is high.
- Physical examination: heart, lungs and general examination where the history calls for it.
The standards you are measured against
Eyesight: Group 2 drivers need at least 6/7.5 on the eye chart in the better eye and at least 6/60 in the other, glasses no stronger than +8 dioptres, and an adequate horizontal field of vision. Contact lenses and glasses are fine as long as you wear them when driving.
Blood pressure: a resting blood pressure consistently at or above 180 systolic or 100 diastolic disqualifies until it is brought under control. Treated, well-controlled hypertension passes.
What can fail an HGV medical?
- Blood pressure at or above the 180/100 threshold on the day and on recheck
- Eyesight below the Group 2 standard that cannot be corrected with lenses
- Untreated obstructive sleep apnoea with excessive daytime sleepiness
- Certain heart events until the DVLA’s recovery period and testing requirements are met
- Epileptic seizures within the DVLA’s Group 2 rules
- Alcohol or drug dependency within the DVLA’s look-back periods
Two reassurances worth knowing. Insulin-treated diabetes is not the automatic fail it once was: since 2012 drivers who meet the DVLA’s monitoring criteria can hold Group 2 entitlement. And antidepressants are not a fail either; the doctor is interested in whether your condition is stable, not in the prescription itself.
Do you need a urine sample or drug test?
Not routinely. The standard D4 examination has no urine or drug test. The doctor may test urine if something in your history needs checking, for example possible diabetes, and some employers arrange separate workplace drug screening, but that is not part of the DVLA medical.
If the doctor finds a problem
Failing on the day is rare. More often the doctor records a condition and the DVLA follows up, sometimes with a shorter licence review period. High blood pressure discovered at the medical can usually be treated by your GP and re-examined quickly.
Ready to get it done? Our GMC-registered doctors run the full examination for £49.99 with same-day availability at 80+ clinics across England. Book your HGV medical test.