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Thousands of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers are believed to have fraudulently obtained medical tests while attempting to renew their driving licences. These tests were performed by a company called Doctors on Wheels, which advertised “cheap medicals” carried out by “fully licensed doctors.” However, investigations revealed that unqualified personnel were conducting these assessments in vans parked at lay-bys and motorway service stations across the UK. The medical examinations, which lasted only minutes, allowed unfit individuals to be erroneously certified as capable of driving lorries, buses, and taxis.
One particularly troubling case involved a driver who was profoundly deaf yet received a full medical pass, while another was falsely recorded as having perfect vision despite possessing a glass eye. Andrew Eburne, the director of Doctors on Wheels, was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to four years in prison. Judge Huw Rees criticized Eburne for prioritizing profit over public safety and playing a key role in business activities that compromised road safety. The company undercut its competitors by charging just under £60 for these fraudulent medical tests.
The scam came to light when three undercover investigators posed as prospective lorry drivers and booked medical tests at three different locations—Swindon, Huddersfield, and Leicester—in 2019. Each was given tests such as eyesight and blood pressure checks conducted by different staff members. Yet all the medical forms bore the same doctor’s signature, applied via a stamp, which confirmed the suspicion that Doctors on Wheels was using forged endorsements to falsely approve numerous drivers daily. Covert recordings showed staff helping patients cheat during eye tests, further exposing the deception.
Medical checks for HGV drivers, known as D4 medicals, must be performed by General Medical Council-registered doctors and are essential for both initial licensing and periodic re-certification for drivers over 45. The investigation revealed that some Doctors on Wheels staff claimed to be nurses without proper registration, and the two doctors implicated—Dr Adrian Mosescu and Dr Ronald James—faced disciplinary actions from the GMC. The estimated value of the fraud was nearly £682,000. Swansea Trading Standards, which led
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