D4 is the DVLA's medical examination report for a Group 2 licence, the licence group that covers lorries and buses. A doctor examines you, records the results on the form and signs it, and you send it to the DVLA as part of your licence application. PCV Medicals carries out D4 medicals in Newcastle upon Tyne for drivers applying for the first time and for those renewing an existing licence.
What does a D4 medical involve?
The form is divided into sections, and the appointment follows them in order so nothing is left incomplete. At PCV Medicals a typical D4 medical takes 20 to 30 minutes, although it can run a little longer if the doctor needs to go through a health condition in detail.
The eyesight test
The doctor checks how clearly you see with each eye and tests your field of vision against the Group 2 standard, which is stricter than the one for car drivers. You can wear the glasses or contact lenses you normally drive with. Our D4 eyesight requirements guide sets out the exact standard.
Your medical history
The D4 asks about conditions that can affect safe driving, including diabetes, heart and circulation problems, epilepsy and seizures, stroke, sleep disorders, mental health, and alcohol or drug misuse. The doctor goes through these questions with you and records your answers.
Blood pressure and examination
Your blood pressure is measured during the appointment. Group 2 drivers must not drive if their resting blood pressure is consistently 180 systolic or more, or 100 diastolic or more. Depending on your history, the doctor may carry out other checks the form calls for.
The doctor's declaration
Once the examination is finished, the doctor completes and signs the medical sections. You leave with the form, ready to add your own details and declaration before posting it.
Who needs a D4 medical?
Group 2 covers lorry categories C1, C1E, C and CE and bus categories D1, D1E, D and DE. You need a D4 medical:
- When you first apply for any of those categories
- When you renew your lorry or bus entitlement at 45
- Every five years after that until 65
- Every year from 65
- At 70, if you hold C1 or D1 from passing your car test before 1997 and want to keep them
Drivers under 45 renew with form D47PU and do not need a medical. New drivers book a PCV medical or an HGV medical, while existing drivers book a D4 renewal. Taxi and private hire drivers are often asked by their licensing council for a medical to the same Group 2 standard, which PCV Medicals also carries out as a taxi medical.
What happens to the D4 after your medical?
You complete your own sections of the form, sign the declaration and send the D4 to the DVLA with form D2, the licence application. The DVLA must receive the D4 within four months of the date the doctor signed it, so it makes sense to book your medical once you are ready to apply. The DVLA then decides whether to grant or renew your entitlement, and may write to you or your specialist if it needs more information about a condition.
Answer every question on the form honestly. Giving false information on a D4 is an offence, and a condition disclosed at the start is far easier to deal with than one discovered later.
Can my GP do a D4 medical?
Any doctor registered with the General Medical Council can complete the medical sections of a D4, so you are free to choose where you go. PCV Medicals' doctors are GMC-registered, as the law requires. Many drivers prefer to book an appointment arranged specifically for the D4, with the fee confirmed in writing before they commit.
How much does a D4 medical cost?
PCV Medicals charges a fixed fee for each medical, confirmed in your quote before you book. It covers the examination, the eyesight test and the completed form. The pricing page explains what is included for each type of medical.
Booking a D4 medical in Newcastle
To arrange an appointment, request a quote with the form on this page. Tell us which medical you need, your preferred date and your town, and mention anything the doctor should be aware of. We reply by email with a fixed fee and appointment options in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the address is confirmed when you book. Drivers come to us from across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland; see the areas we cover. Operators booking several drivers can use our fleet medicals service.
This guide is general information for drivers, correct to the best of our knowledge when written. Rules change, so check current guidance on GOV.UK, or ask the doctor at your appointment.