What to bring

Heart attack, stent, bypass or angina

Anyone who has had a heart attack, a stent, bypass surgery, or has angina (chest pain from the heart).

You must bring

  • Your latest heart (cardiology) clinic letter, showing what happened and the date.
  • Your heart scan (echo) result showing the pumping strength, called the ejection fraction or LVEF.
  • Any exercise test, stress echo or heart perfusion scan result since the event.

On the day

  • Bring your heart tablets list, including any GTN spray.

What the DVLA says (Group 2 standard, used for D4 and taxi medicals)

  • After a heart attack or a stent, a bus, lorry or taxi licence is refused for at least 6 weeks. After bypass surgery it is at least 3 months.
  • To drive again you normally need a heart pumping strength (ejection fraction) of at least 40% and to pass the DVLA's exercise or other heart test requirements.
  • With angina, you must have had no angina for at least 6 weeks and meet the same test requirements.
  • You must tell the DVLA.

Taxi and private hire medicals use this same Group 2 standard in most councils. Source: DVLA, Assessing fitness to drive.

Why we ask

The doctor cannot complete these sections of the form without your heart results. Without them the form has to be held back.

Contact us before you book

With this condition the rules are strict. A two-minute chat can save you a wasted £45.

This page explains the DVLA standard in plain English. It is not a decision about you. The doctor decides what can be signed on the day, and your council or the DVLA makes the licensing decision.