Five years after the DVLA began an investigation into claims that Doctors on Wheels was carrying out fraudulent D4 driver medicals, six people appeared in court this week, accused of fraudulently supplying D4 driver medical forms to the DVLA.
When the investigation began, Doctors on Wheels operated a mobile service across the country providing D4 medicals for thousands of HGV drivers. These were undertaken in the back of the company’s fleet of vans.
D4 driver medical forms are required for category C licence holders. They involve a medical and sight assessment and are necessary for any HGV or PSV driver renewing a licence after the age of 45.
Swansea Crown Court heard the alleged offences, involving Doctors on Wheels, span a period of 21 months.
The six defendants are Ana-Maria Cazacu, aged 38, of Reynards Close, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire; Andrew Steven Eburne, of Hill Rise, Burbage, Hinckley, Leicestershire; Cristian Geru, aged 33, of Mill Lane, Denton, Greater Manchester; Adrian Mosescu, aged 37, of Strada Rahoevi, Braila, Romania; and 50-year-old Ronald James, of Childwall Green, Wirral.
All six are accused of an offence contrary to section 993 of the Companies Act 2006 namely “where the business of a company, namely Doctors on Wheels Ltd, is carried on for a fraudulent purpose, namely the dishonest provision of DVLA D4 forms, you were knowingly a party to the carrying on of the business in that manner, in that/namely the dishonest provision of DVLA D4 forms”.
Lee Reynolds, prosecuting, told the court that the investigation was initially launched by the DVLA before being transferred to Swansea Council. He added that the case involved a significant amount of documentation.
The six defendants entered not guilty pleas to the charge, and a provisional trial date was set for March 2025. All six were re-admitted to bail ahead of their trial.
The DVLA began its investigation in late 2018, after receiving allegations that the D4 medicals being carried out by Doctors On Wheels were not being completed properly, with unhealthy drivers being passed as fit to drive.
In June 2019 the DVLA announced it would no longer accept medical reports from Doctors on Wheels, following police raids at the company’s offices in Swindon, Leicester and Huddersfield.
