An expanded list of notifiable eye conditions issued by the DVLA has been met with deep concern by sector bodies and practitioners after it was estimated it could apply to almost every driver that received a sight test.
The Association of Optometrists (AOP) said it had written to the DVLA demanding it reviewed the list of conditions and offered to work alongside the government department to draw up a revised list to ‘reduce the huge administrative burden it will place on practitioners and the DVLA.’
The College, which said it was not consulted about the new list of conditions, has also written to the DVLA to express its concern about the content and the technical errors in the document. The College also asked to see the evidence that supported the DVLA's new list.
‘It is important to remind members that the standards of vision for driving have not changed, it is the list of notifiable conditions that has been expanded, which will result in a considerable additional burden to both drivers and the DVLA,’ said a College statement. ‘The DVLA have acknowledged our concerns and are looking into this as a matter of urgency.’
AOP chief executive, Adam Sampson added: ‘Practitioners are quite rightly deeply concerned about the impact the new rules will have. We raised the same concerns with the DVLA in early August and have since followed up with further correspondence on the issue. We believe that if the current guidance remains in place, almost every driver who receives a sight test will need to be advised to notify the DVLA.
‘We’re urging the DVLA to take immediate steps to remedy the situation by reviewing the notifiable eye conditions list. We hope that pragmatism will prevail.
Optician has approached the DVLA for comment.
The DVLA list of notifiable eye conditions can be found below.
Eye conditions that affect one eye
You need to tell DVLA if you have any of the following (even if the condition is only in one eye):
Blurred vision
Cranial nerve palsy (with double vision)
Cystic prolactinoma
Drusen
Duane syndrome (with double vision)
Esophoria (with double vision)
Estropia (with double vision)
Heterophoria (with double vision)
Hyphaemia
Leber’s optic atrophy
Macroprolactinoma
Ocular myasthenia gravis (with double vision)
Ophthalmoploegia (with double vision)
Ptosis
Quadrantinopia
Retinal dystrophy
Retinal pigmentation
Retinitis pigmentosa (Rod cone dystrophy) or Retinal dystrophy
Squint (with double vision)
Stargadts (juvenile macular degeneration)
Strabismus (with double vision)
Toxoplasma retinitis (toxoplasmosis)
Visual field defects
Eye conditions that affect both eyes
You must tell DVLA if you have any of the following if the condition affects both of your eyes (if you only have sight in one eye, you still need to tell DVLA):
Behçet’s disease
Benign peripheral retinal pigmentation
Best disease
Bilateral artery occlusion (retinal)
Blepharospasm
Branch retinal vein occlusion
Cataracts
Cellophane retinopathy
Central chorioretinopathy
Central serous retinopathy
Central vein occlusion
Chemical eye burn
Choroidal infarction
Choroidal neovascular
Choroidal nevus
Choroiditis
Chronic central serous retinopathy
Coats’ disease
Cogan’s dystrophy
Coloboma
Corneal degeneration
Corneal graft
Cranial arteritis
Cranial nerve palsy (without double vision)
Cupped optic disc
Cytomegalovirus
Detached retina
Diabetic retinopathy (with laser treatment)
Duane syndrome (without double vision)
Eales
Embolism (retinal)
Epiretinal membrane
Esophoria (without double vision)
Esotropia (without double vision)
Eye haemorrhage
Eye tumour
Fuchs’ dystrophy
Fuchs’ heterochromic cyclitis
Giant cell arteritis
Glaucoma
Herpes zoster ophthalmicus
Heterophoria (without double vision)
High myopia
Horner’s syndrome
Iris nevus
Keratitis
Keratoconus
Macular cyst
Macular degeneration
Macular hole
Macular oedema
Macular pucker
Maculopathy
Melanoma (ocular)
Neovascularisation of the optic nerve head
Neuritis (retrobulbar)
Nuclear sclerosis
Ocular albinism
Ocular histoplasmosis
Ocular hypertension
Ocular myasthenia gravis (without double vision)
Ophthalmoploegia (without double vision)
Optic neuritis
Perifoveal atrophy
Peripapillary nevus
Posner Schlossman syndrome
Posterior capsular opacification
Pseudophakia
Reis Bucklers corneal dystrophy
Retinal artery thrombosis
Retinal embolism
Retinal haemorrhage
Retinal occlusion (artery or vein)
Retinal photocoagulation
Retinal pigment epithelial atrophy
Retinal tear or detachment
Retinal treatment
Retinal vein thrombosis
Retinoblastoma
Retinopathy (with laser treatment)
Retinopathy fibroplasia
Retinopathy of prematurity
Retinoschisis
Squint (without double vision)
Strabismus (without double vision)
Temporal arteritis
Thyroid related orbitopathy
Uveitis
Vein occlusion
Vitreous haemorrhage