Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panels

Overview

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) plays a vital role in making Britain’s roads safe. Every motorist must meet the required medical standards of fitness to drive, and for those behind the wheels of large or passenger carrying vehicles, these standards are often higher.

The key guidance used in practice in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for considering physical fitness to drive is found in the ‘Assessing fitness to drive – a guide for medical professionals’ (AFTD). It is prepared on the advice of the Secretary of State’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panels.

AFTD describes the law relating to medical aspects of driver licensing. It advises members of the medical profession on the medical standards that need to be met by individuals to hold licences to drive various categories of vehicles. It provides the basis on which members of the medical profession advise individuals on whether any medical condition could affect their ability to drive safely.

Purpose of DVLA’s medical advisory panels

The purpose of DVLA’s medical advisory panels is to provide the Secretary of State for Transport, in practice DVLA, with expert advice with the aim of maintaining and improving road safety.

Working with our medical panels

To ensure every motorist meets the required medical standards for fitness to drive, we actively work with our medical panels to set the medical standards and shape policy and guidelines for more than 50 million driving licence holders. The panels help maintain and improve road safety by providing the Secretary of State for Transport, Department for Transport (DfT) and DVLA with expert advice about a wide range of medical conditions and their impact on driving.

The panels meet at least twice a year. They may also provide additional advice to DVLA outside of these meetings. The panels, some of which have existed in their present form for 20 years or more, act purely in an advisory capacity and have no executive or legal powers.

We take advice from these panels to make informed decisions about health standards required for safe driving. The panels focus on the conditions that impact on safe driving and are made up of nationally and internationally renowned experts, particularly in the fields listed below. These standards are continually reviewed.

The 6 panels cover:

• cardiology
• neurology
• diabetes
• vision
• alcohol or substance misuse and dependence
• psychiatry

Vacancies

ThereWe’re looking for a new panel chair to lead our Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and visual disorders.

We’d love to hear from you if you’re a senior clinician or senior academic with expertise in visual disorders.

All candidates must be able to demonstrate they are:

• General Medical Council (GMC), General Optical Council (GOC), or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registered
• a member or fellow of a relevant Royal College or equivalent body
• currently active in clinical practice or research in their professional field

The deadline for applications closes at 11:59pm on 29 November 2023

Please see ‘Application and selection process’ below for more information on how to apply.

Role description

Ensuring medical fitness to drive is absolutely vital to road safety. Panel members play a pivotal role providing sound advice on medical conditions and their impact on safe driving. The panel chair role requires strong leadership to steer panel activity to deliver the best possible outcomes for road safety and for individual motorists.  

We welcome applications from experienced medical professionals who possess a broad range of experience and specialise in dealing with visual disorders. How you apply your professional background and experience will be particularly important in chairing the panel.

We’re looking for an engaged and enthusiastic panel chair who can lead and support our panel, challenge constructively and robustly, and provide a rich diversity of information and advice that will help DVLA to licence drivers appropriately.

You’ll be joining us at a time that continues to bring huge and exciting opportunities. We continually seek out new and better ways of working, to ensure we continue to deliver first class services that meet the needs of the country’s drivers. 

While we’ve delivered a huge programme of change in recent years, work continues to help us learn, adapt, innovate and continually improve.

If this sounds like the sort of role that excites you, we’d love to hear from you.

As a panel chair, you’ll be expected to attend 3 meetings a year, plus preparation time beforehand to consider papers in advance.

In line with DfT policy, these posts are nonot vacanciessalaried, but members will be reimbursed for travel and subsistence costs. One off fees will also be paid to panel chairs for looking at complex casework outside of panel meetings. 

As a panel chair you will be expected to:

1. Identify with the panel secretariat and DVLA’s senior doctor, the appropriate composition of the panel, relevant working and subgroups and appropriate experts to consider individual cases.
2. Contribute, in consultation with the panel secretariat, to setting of panel agendas and where appropriate, allocation of research for individual items to panel members.
3. Identify with the panel secretariat and DVLA’s senior doctor, expertise needed on an ad hoc, time limited basis, for specific projects or tasks.
4. Chair the panel in a way which ensures that all members have the opportunity to express their views, making sure that the panel aims to reach a consensus, but not at the risk of failing to recognise diverse views of others.
5. Ensure the panel works to the agenda and that discussions remain focused on issues associated with fitness to drive.
6. Be responsible for ensuring the panel takes account of advice given by DfT or DVLA, and always considers a wide range of scientific and medical views of stakeholders.
7. Ensure the panel is balanced, based on consideration of the weight of all available information but identifies where data is lacking and outlines assumption and uncertainties.
8. Make sure that where a consensus view cannot be reached, panel advice reflects the majority view, taking responsibility for making a final judgement when the panel is equally split.
9. Be responsible for signing off panel publications in a timely manner, making sure they accurately reflect the panel advice and detail the evidence base for it.
10. Identify any declarations of interest made by panel members relevant to items being discussed at the meeting, and decide whether the interest conflicts with the role of the panel member, along with what action should be taken.
11. Be responsible for ensuring the panel and members deliver effectively against the panel terms and conditions and that the panel always complies with working practices.
12. Ensure the panel acts in accordance with the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees and takes account of relevant legislation, other codes of practice and guidance.
13. Contribute to an annual review meeting in discussion with the panel secretariat and other officials as necessary.
14. Consider and identify, in accordance with panel recruitment procedures, candidate suitability for appointment to your panel.
15. Play an integral part by providing advice about the medical standards for fitness to drive that accurately reflects the current understanding of visual disorders and their effect on an individual’s ability to drive.
16. Notify the panel of developments in the treatment of visual disorders which could have an impact on DVLA’s standards, guidance or processes.
17. Challenge assumptions on which advice is formulated, and question and comment on information provided.
18. Attend joint panel meetings and extraordinary meetings to discuss issues or cases, which cover areas relevant to more than one medical panel.
19. Where appropriate, produce written reports for consideration at panel meetings. This would include reports with recommendations on specific issues identified by DVLA or the panel for presentation to and discussion by the panel (e.g. identification and evaluation of current research and literature).
20. Identify new areas of research that may affect drivers and DVLA policy in the future and present research findings to the panel.
21. Explore and research any identified gaps in the evidence base through panel discussions or working and subgroup work and make proposals for how these are to be addressed, for example recommendations for departmental sponsored research and agreeing relevant terms of reference.
22. Contribute to an annual horizon scanning exercise that will be used to inform discussions on a forward work plan at an annual review.
23. Exercise independent judgement and constructively challenge and encourage panel members to share their views and experiences.
24. Demonstrate excellent listening skills with the ability to be open and honest.
25. Read and interpret large quantities of complex information from a range of different sources.
26. Use logical reasoning and a structured approach.
27. Weigh up evidence, keep to the facts and apply objectivity.
28. Offer an alternative perspective based on an ability to consider sensitive issues from an informed and balanced viewpoint.
29. All panel members will be expected to abide by the 7 Principles of Public Life, sometimes referred to as the Nolan Principles.

Time commitment

Between 4 to 6 days per annum. The panel chair will be expected to devote a minimum of 3 days for attending panel meetings, in spring and autumn, and a separate meeting of all panel chairs each summer. The panel chair is also required to support the development of panel agendas and will be expected to provide advice to DVLA’s team of doctors on complex casework relating to visual disorders.

Remuneration  

In line with DfT policy, these posts are not salaried, but members will be reimbursed for travel and subsistence costs. One off fees will also be paid to expert members for looking at complex casework and providing reports outside of panel meetings.

Length of term

5 years.

Application and selection process

1. Our recruitment schemes are in line with the principles of the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees.
2. For further information about how to apply please see the application information and guidance and the terms and conditions for the role.
3. You must fill in the DVLA Diversity form and Guaranteed Interview Scheme form when applying for a role within the Secretary of State for Transport’s Medical Advisory Panels.
4. Please do not apply if you are not available for the interview dates.
5. Feedback can be provided after the interview for successful and unsuccessful applicants, on request. See our Terms and Conditions for members of Secretary of State for Transport’s Medical advisory Panels gives you more information.
6. If successful, you will be recommended to the minister for appointment and advised of the date to join a panel.  Please note this time.process can take several months, because of due diligence and other government clearances that are required.
7. Interviews will take place from Monday 8 January to Friday 12 January 2024. These will be conducted using Microsoft Teams. Applicants should not apply if they are unable to make themselves available during these dates as interview timescales cannot be extended or brought forward.

Submit your completed application form to MedicalPanelApplications@dvla.gov.uk by 11:59pm on Wednesday 29 November 2023. Candidates are advised that due to logistical reasons, entries received after the closing date will not be accepted.

Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date: 25 October 2023
2. Application deadline: 11:59pm on 29 November 2023
3. Sifting date: 4 to 6 December 2023
4. Interview dates: 8 to 11 January 2024

Further information

If you have any queries about the roles and responsibilities for these vacancies, please contact Dr Nick Jenkins, DVLA senior doctor: nick.jenkins@dvla.gov.uk

For queries about the progress of your application, or any technical problems submitting it, please contact:MedicalPanelApplications@dvla.gov.uk