As part of this relationship D4Drivers will establish a new clinic within the NCSEM-EM facility, offering medical examinations required for UK drivers to obtain and retain Group 2 driving licences, essential for operating buses and lorries.
All Group 2 drivers must pass the medical assessment, which includes eyesight and blood pressure checks, along with medication reviews, by a registered medical practitioner to get their initial licence. The same assessment is required again at 45 years of age and on any subsequent reapplication.
D4Drivers is the UK's largest provider of driver medicals, conducting over 100,000 annually nationwide. This collaboration aims to not only offer driver medicals but transform driver health research and bridge the gap between academic study and practical application.
Beyond providing medical services, D4Drivers has been collaborating on NCSEM-EM research around driver health. The research is looking to address health inequalities within HGV drivers, by targeting a group that often faces barriers to accessing healthcare and wellness programmes.
This partnership will enable researchers to gather invaluable data, by enabling access to drivers to better understand their health needs and experiences. Researchers are hoping to undertake the largest global health surveillance study of driver health.
Due to the nature of their occupation, drivers are exposed to many health-related risk factors which are linked with high rates of obesity and cardiometabolic risk, culminating in increased risk of accidents, plus higher rates of chronic diseases and reduced life expectancies compared to other occupations.
It is hoped that this work will lead to practical applications that enhance driver safety and health standards across the UK.
Professor Lauren Sherar, Director of NCSEM-EM said: “It is fantastic to have D4Drivers conducting driver medical consultations within the NCSEM-EM building. This work goes to the heart of the NCSEM’s remit to bridge the gap between research and practice to really make a difference to people’s lives.”
Dr Grant Charlesworth-Jones, Founder, D4Drivers said: ”By joining the academic brilliance of the NCSEM as well as their world-leading facilities to work with us to best understand the health needs of vocational drivers we shall be making a huge impact on the future of driver health in the UK.
Professor Stacy Clemes, Professor of Active Living and Public Health, Loughborough University said: “It is great to be working more closely with D4Drivers and build on the fantastic opportunity that offers us, to not only offer clinical services but to work collaboratively to facilitate our ambition to conduct extensive research on driver health, which we hope will ultimately lead to improvements in drivers’ health and wellbeing and road safety for all.”