P03-559 - An audit on driver and vehicle licensing agency medical standards of fitness to drive in mentally ill patients

Abstract

BackgroundThe Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in UK have published guidelines on driving for mentally ill patients. An earlier audit done in 2008 showed that none of the 25 patients included in the audit received advice on driving.AimsA re-audit was done in terms of documentation of 1)the driving status of patients,2)advice on driving at time of discharge.MethodsRetrospective audit was done by retrieving 25 case notes and discharge summaries of patients admitted. Demographic details, driving status and driving advice given were collected using a pre-defined proforma.Results25 patients admitted to adult wards were included (16 males, 9 females, and mean age 46). 15 patients were admitted as informal while 5 each were on section 2 and 3 of Mental Health Act (MHA). The following were the diagnoses; mental disorders due to alcohol (2), Schizophrenia (8), manic episode (1), bipolar affective disorder (5), depressive episode (8) and personality disorder (1). 16 patients (64%) were documented to have current driving licence and this information was not recorded in 9 cases (36%). 12 (48%) patients were current drivers and 4 of them were professional drivers. 13 (52%) patients were given documented advice regarding driving at the time of discharge.Conclusion52% of patients admitted to general adult mental health wards were given advice regarding driving at the time of discharge and compared to previous audit data, there has been a significant improvement. However this needs to be improved by increasing the awareness among healthcare professionals.