AQW 15836/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 27/09/2024
Answered On Date: 14/10/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the number of occasions in the last 12 months that doctors or other medical professionals have disclosed information to the Driver and Vehicle Agency about a patients' lack of fitness to drive.

Answer:

Whilst the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) holds the information requested, it is not held in a readily accessible format. Around 16,000 cases were referred to the DVA’s medical advisory service for medical assessment in the last 12 months. To identify those cases where doctors or other medical professionals have disclosed information about a patient’s lack of fitness to drive, would require the DVA to examine each record. This information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.