The DVLA is experiencing a significant backlog in processing medical driving licenses, leading to extensive delays. Processing times for medical licenses exceeded 14 weeks in February 2026. This situation has prompted urgent calls for reforms from various stakeholders.
Simon Lightwood, a key participant, expressed regret: “I am sorry to all those who have been impacted by the delays.” The DVLA has faced challenges due to an increase in applications requiring medical checks. Vikki Slade highlighted the disparity between standard and medical license applications, stating, “The DVLA is stuck in manual whilst the rest of us are on automatic.”
To address these issues, the DVLA introduced new technology to streamline processing. The online portal for reporting new medical conditions opened on March 31, 2026. Additionally, the agency hired 43 more medical caseworkers to help reduce the backlog.
Key statistics:
- Processing times for medical licenses averaged 56.6 working days in April 2026.
- The DVLA processed 498,780 contacts through its chatbot without human intervention in FY26.
- The contact center handled 964,576 queries via its webchat service during the same period.
Despite improvements, customer queries remain high. The DVLA spokesperson noted, “We are currently seeing exceptionally high demand for applications from customers with medical conditions, which has regrettably impacted some processing times.” The average time taken to handle an inquiry via webchat was around 90 seconds quicker than through the telephone option.
The ongoing situation has raised concerns about equalities issues related to processing times for different types of licenses. Vikki Slade remarked on this disparity: “There is a real equalities issue here with the difference in processing time and communication stark when you compare people applying for standard licences with those who are seeking medical renewals.”
The DVLA continues to work on enhancing its digital services to manage customer queries more effectively and improve overall service delivery.
