Boss of firm giving bogus medical exams to lorry and bus drivers learns his fate
One applicant for a bus or lorry licence was reported as having 20/20 vision when in fact he had one false eye20:14, 19 Jun 2026The boss of a firm that issued dodgy medical certificates to drivers applying. . .
One applicant for a bus or lorry licence was reported as having 20/20 vision when in fact he had one false eye20:14, 19 Jun 2026The boss of a firm that issued dodgy medical certificates to drivers applying for bus and lorry driving licences from the DVLA has been jailed for four years. Andrew Eburne's company, Doctors on Wheels Ltd, used staff who were not properly qualified to carry out the necessary examinations for people seeking commercial licences, and then gave applicants forms which had been stamped with doctors' signatures. The medical exams themselves were carried out in the back of vans in locations around England and Wales including laybys, motorway service stations, and car parks, with some lasting just a matter of minutes. A judge atSwansea Crown Courttold the defendant that the "misleading and dishonest" business he ran had "served to compromise public safety", albeit the risk to the public would never be known. Don’t miss a court report by signing upto our crime newsletter hereLee Reynolds, prosecuting, told the court it was the Crown's case that it was clear that what Doctors on Wheels was doing "was a dishonest departure from an hitherto lawful business in order to, we say, prioritise financial gain". He said based on the number of examinations the firm was doing and its fees structure, a fair figure for the value of the fraud was some £681,699. The court has previously heard that the case revolved around forms known as D4s which drivers applying to the DVLA for lorry or bus licences are required to submit. The D4s contain the results of eyesight and blood pressure tests along with information about an applicant's medical history and any conditions they have. TheMorriston-based DVLAbecame concerned about forms drivers were submitting which had been prepared by Doctors on Wheels Ltd, and the agency carried out a "test purchase" type-operation with members of staff booking medicals with the firm to see what procedure was being used. Armed with that information the DVLA then took its concerns toSwansea Council's trading standards department in March, 2019 whichlaunched its own investigation and made its own "mystery shopper" appointments. The court has previously heard evidence that on occasions those turning up for their examinations were not asked for identification, and that the person performing the exam - who was not a registered doctor - would often fill in the D4 form without asking many questions of the applicant. The completed D4 forms were then handed over complete with a pre-stamped signature and General Medical Council registration number of a doctor who had not participated in the exam. The prosecutor said it was the Crown's position that the case involved concerns about public safety but it had to be acknowledged that the "true extent of the public safety aspect" will never be known. The barrister said while it could not be proved that a particular road traffic accident was caused as a result of an inadequate driver medical there was evidence to suggest that medicals were not done adequately and that medical conditions were inappropriately reported to the DVLA - he said the Crown had one example of a D4 applicant being reported as having 20/20 vision when in fact he had one prosthetic eye, and of another who was stated as having no hearing issues but was in fact profoundly deaf. Andrew Steven Eburne, aged 51, of Hill Rise, Burbage, Hinckley, Leicestershire, had previously been convicted at trial of participating in a fraudulent business practice when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Laura Phillips, for Eburne, said that between 2007 and 2017 the defendant's business had been operating legitimately "before it became dishonest". She said the effect of the prosecution on the defendant and his family had been "catastrophic". Judge Huw Rees told the defendant that Doctors on Wheels had flouted the rules on driver medicals in a "brazen and obvious way", and said the methods used by the firm had "served to compromise public safety" albeit to an "known and unquantifiable degree". The judge said Eburne had been the "founder and orchestrator of this misleading and dishonest system" and said the offending was so serious only immediate custody was appropriate. Eburne was sentenced to four years in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The judge said those who had worked on the prosecution were to be commended for their efforts. A proceeds of crime investigation will now be launched into the defendant's finances. Speaking after sentencing Cllr Andrew Williams,SwanseaCouncil’s cabinet member for development, paid tribute to the teams who secured the conviction. He said: "We're pleased with the outcome of the case and we hope the sentence handed down by the court today will be a deterrent to others. "Our message is that there will be no hiding place in our community for those who engage in this kind of fraud that puts road users and the public at risk of harm. "Thanks to the diligence and commitment of our trading standards officers working with staff at the DVLA, a conviction was secured in what was a complex and important case. "When the DVLA raised their concerns about the company, we needed to look in depth at their operation and establish if medical certificates were being issued by unqualified staff. "We were able to show in court that D4 medical certificates were submitted to the DVLA with the intention of them being issued as part of a HGV licence application. Article continues below"Fortunately, due to the expertise shown by the DVLA in spotting these anomalies, along with our own investigation, we prevented this becoming a much more serious issue. "Get dailybreaking newsupdates on your phone by joiningour WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See ourPrivacy Notice