At The London Heart, we provide comprehensive cab drivers with medical examinations. Providing full medicals to those who require re-licensing for all local authorities including Transport for London (TFL).
If you're a cab driver and hold a taxi licence and have a pre-existing or new heart condition, your local authority will likely need a medical examination and heart tests by a cardiologist before reinstatement of your licence. This is typically the case following a heart attack, angina, or heart failure.
The taxi licencing renewal guidelines require drivers to undergo an exercise ECG using the standard Bruce protocol following a heart attack. These are the same criteria that the DVLA requires of bus and HGV drivers. This test may also be used to determine the fitness of new drivers with a heart condition to operate a taxi or private hire vehicle.
Cab drivers with cardiac problems must pass one or more of the following exams in order to continue driving. The most common heart problems that require testing of this sort include:
- Angina or heart attack
- Heart failure (weakness of the heart muscle)
- Heart valve problems
Testing must occur at least six weeks following the heart attack.
- Cab drivers must be angina-free for six weeks.
- Cab drivers must successfully complete a nine-minute Bruce protocol treadmill exercise test
- An echocardiogram to assess left ventricular function
-Testing may be performed at least six weeks after the surgery.
- Cab drivers must be angina-free for six weeks.
- Pass a 9 minute Bruce protocol treadmill exercise test
- Testing can begin no sooner than three months after the operation.
- Cab drivers must remain angina-free after six weeks.
- Cab drivers must successfully complete a nine-minute Bruce protocol treadmill exercise test
- Have an echocardiogram to demonstrate that the pumping efficiency is at least 40%