East of England · driver medicals

Taxi driver medical in Bedford

Which doctor Bedford will accept, how often you have to repeat it and which form they want. Councils disagree with each other on every one of those, so this is Bedford’s answer and nobody else’s.

Who can carry it out

Any GMC-registered doctor

The most relaxed category there is. Any doctor on the GMC register can sign it, so a private medical centre is generally faster and cheaper than waiting for a GP appointment.

What Bedford requires

“3.5.1 In order to promote the Council's public safety licensing objective, it will be a requirement to produce a medical assessment from a registered medical practitioner confirming the applicant/licence holder's fitness to drive if: (i) The applicant is a new driver (irrespective of age) or (ii) at age 45 (certificate must be produced every 5 years) until the age of 65 when the medical assessment”
Possible exemption: HGV/PSV accepted - holders of a current PSV and/or HGV licence who can produce proof of a current medical assessment do not need a further medical, provided the 3.5.2 conditions (registered GP, under 6 months old at licence start, Group 2 standard) are met
How long it lasts: 6 months, BUT measured to the LICENCE START DATE, not the application date - 'less than six (6) months old at the licence start date'. This is the trap: a medical taken early can time out while the council is still processing
How often: new applicant (irrespective of age), then at 45 and every 5 years thereafter until 65, then annually. Also any time a health condition may affect driving
Form: D4

View official source ↗ ⚑ Report a change

Taken from Bedford Borough Council Taxi & Private Hire Policy v1, 1 June 2022 - section 3.5 Medical examination. Rules change and councils rewrite their pages without notice, so confirm before you book and pay. If something here is wrong please say and I will check it against the council and fix it.

How Bedford compares

Of the 315 UK licensing areas checked so far, Bedford is one of 31 that let any GMC-registered doctor sign it, which is the easiest and usually the cheapest position to be in.

Who may sign it elsewhere in East of England

Neighbouring authorities do not follow each other on this, and a certificate accepted in one is regularly refused in the next. Check the area whose badge you actually hold.

Licensing area	Who can carry out the medical
Cambridge	The council does not say
Luton	Your own GP only
Norwich	Any registered doctor with your records
Peterborough	Any GMC-registered doctor
Central Bedfordshire	Any registered doctor with your records
Huntingdonshire	Any registered doctor with your records
Broadland	Any registered doctor with your records
West Suffolk	Any registered doctor with your records
Colchester	The council does not say
East Suffolk	Any registered doctor with your records
Watford	Your own GP only
Castle Point	Only a provider the council names

What it costs to be licensed in Bedford

The medical is one bill among several. See what Bedford charges for the driver, vehicle and operator licences, taken from the same published sources.

Every line above is taken from Bedford’s own published guidance and read by hand against that source. Nothing here is from trade press, a forum or an estimate. This is not medical or legal advice.

← Medical rules for every UK licensing area