The director of a company that signed off thousands of medical certificates for HGV drivers has been found guilty of fraud.
Andrew Eburne, director of Leicester-based Doctors on Wheels, was prosecuted following a long-running investigation after concerns were raised by the DVLA.
Doctors on Wheels was used by HGV licence holders as well as candidates applying for HGV licences to complete the D4 medical certificate as part of the application process.
The D4 determines that the applicant is medically safe to operate heavy goods vehicles and the medical exams were carried out in mobile units across the UK.
A case was made against 51-year-old Eburne, along with five other defendants who worked for Doctors on Wheels.
All five were found not guilty during the same proceedings.
Investigations stretching back to 2019 by Swansea Trading Standards (TS), which included officers presenting themselves as HGV licence applicants, uncovered major concerns over the signing off of the certificates by unqualified individuals who were working for the company.
It was alleged that unhealthy drivers were being passed as fit to drive and led to raids on the company’s offices in Swindon, Leicester and Huddersfield.
Swansea TS said the company was thought to have processed thousands of D4 medical certificates, which were then used as part of the HGV application.
Rhys Harries, Swansea Council TS team leader, said: “We’re pleased with the outcome of the case.
“This has been a very long investigation which required a lot of time and effort by our own Trading Standards officers, as well as staff at the DVLA.
“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.
“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.”
Although Eburne pleaded guilty to the charges, he was found guilty by a jury and will return to Swansea in June for sentencing.
