Driver medicals for County Durham
D4 driver medicals for County Durham
PCV Medicals provides D4 medicals for bus, coach, lorry and taxi drivers from Durham, Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Consett and the rest of the county, with appointments in Newcastle upon Tyne within easy reach by train or the A1(M).
- PCV and HGV medicals, first licences and renewals
- Durham County Council taxi forms checked before booking
- Around 15 minutes by train from Durham
Get a free quote
A fixed price and available dates, sent by email.
Our service
Our driver medical service for County Durham
PCV Medicals provides D4, PCV, HGV, taxi and renewal medicals for drivers from Durham, Chester-le-Street, Stanley, Consett and the surrounding towns. Appointments are in Newcastle upon Tyne, around 15 minutes from Durham by train, and cover everything in one visit.
Medicals we offer County Durham drivers
We carry out Group 2 medicals for County Durham's bus, coach, minibus, lorry and taxi drivers, completing the DVLA D4 or your Durham County Council medical form.
How appointments work from County Durham
Send a quote request with your town and preferred date, pick an appointment from the times we email you and travel in by rail or the A1(M). A GMC-registered doctor completes and signs your form at the appointment.
What County Durham drivers can expect
- A short train ride or A1(M) journey
- An appointment of around 20 to 30 minutes
- A fixed fee confirmed before you book
- One visit, so no second journey to an optician
D4 medicals for County Durham drivers
The D4 is the DVLA's Group 2 medical report, needed for categories C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE. You need one for a first application, at 45, every five years until 65 and every year from 65.
PCV medicals for rural bus, coach and minibus drivers
Bus services across the county connect former pit villages, market towns and Durham city, often over long distances, and coach firms, school transport and community transport schemes all rely on drivers with D or D1 entitlement.
New PCV drivers
A PCV medical is the first step towards a bus licence, because the DVLA will not add provisional entitlement until it has your D4 and form D2. Once that entitlement is on your licence you can move on to the theory tests and Driver CPC.
Keeping D1 after 70
Many community transport volunteers passed their car test before 1997 and hold D1 as a result. To keep that category from the age of 70 they need a D4, and the same applies to C1. The D4 renewals page has the full timetable.
HGV medicals for A1(M) and industrial estate drivers
The A1(M) through the county is one of the main freight routes between the North East and the rest of England, with distribution and manufacturing sites along it and around Newton Aycliffe, Consett, Seaham and Peterlee. An HGV medical covers first applications and renewals for all lorry categories, and employers can book several drivers together through operator and fleet medicals.
Taxi medicals for Durham County Council licence holders
Durham County Council licenses hackney carriage and private hire drivers throughout the county. Most councils in the region assess drivers against the DVLA Group 2 standard, but the form can be the D4 or the council's own. Send the current version with your quote request and PCV Medicals will confirm it can complete it before you book. The taxi medical page explains the standard.
How far is the appointment from Durham?
By train
Trains from Durham and Chester-le-Street reach Newcastle Central in around 15 minutes, which makes rail the simplest option for many drivers in and around the city.
By road
The A1(M) and A167 are the main routes north, and drivers from Consett and Stanley can use the A692 or A693 to reach the A1 near Gateshead. From Seaham and Peterlee, the A19 is usually the better choice. The journey is longer from the south and west of the county, so it is worth weighing up travel time when your quote arrives. The address is confirmed on booking.
Sending your D4 to the DVLA after the medical
You leave the appointment with the completed, signed form. For a lorry or bus licence, the D4 goes to the DVLA with form D2, and the DVLA must receive it within four months of the date the doctor signed it. For a taxi licence, the council's form goes to Durham County Council's licensing team in the way the council asks.
If the doctor has recorded a condition the DVLA needs to look into, it may contact you or your specialist before making a decision. The doctor will tell you at the appointment if that is likely, so it does not come as a surprise. More detail is on the D4 medical page.
What does a D4 medical in County Durham cost?
The fee is fixed and confirmed in your quote before you book, and it includes the eyesight test and the completed D4. See the pricing page for what it covers, or request a quote with your preferred dates.
FAQs
Questions from County Durham drivers
Is it easy to reach the appointment from Durham?
Yes. Trains from Durham reach Newcastle Central in around 15 minutes, and the A1(M) and A167 run north to the city. The exact address is in your booking confirmation.
Does PCV Medicals complete Durham County Council taxi medicals?
Send the council's form with your quote request and PCV Medicals will confirm whether it can complete it before you book.
Can a community transport group book medicals for several drivers?
Yes. Choose the operator or fleet booking option in the quote form and say how many drivers need a D4 and roughly when.
Can I wear glasses for the eyesight test?
Yes, as long as the lenses are no stronger than +8 dioptres. Bring the glasses or contact lenses you drive with, and your prescription if you have it.
Do I need a D4 to keep C1 or D1 at 70?
Yes, if you want to keep either category. Your car entitlement renews at 70 without a medical, but C1 and D1 need a D4.
Book your D4 medical from County Durham
Send PCV Medicals a few details about the medical you need and where you are travelling from. Your quote will include a fixed fee and appointment times in Newcastle.