URGENT EVIDENCE REQUIRED – Sleep Apnoea and Driving Whilst Sleepy

The Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP) , Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS), British Thoracic Society (BTS), British Sleep Society (BSS) and Sleep Apnoea Trust Association (SATA) have been in correspondence with DVLA over their interpretation of a recent EU Directive on Sleepiness and Driving. Unfortunately it seems DVLA have misinterpreted the directive and are making changes to their guidelines for OSA patients/suspected OSA patients that may be problematic for patients and sleep study services in the UK. Whilst the 4 organisations continue to try and persuade DVLA of the error of their decision, we urgently need good evidence from sleep apnoea services in the UK about these issues.

As a matter of urgency, we need AHCS members involved in sleep services (respiratory, sleep and neurophysiology) to respond to the following Survey Monkey on-line survey as soon as possible to help us fight this bad decision for our patients. Please log on to the following site (it is safe and tested and will cause your computer no problems.)

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DVLAandOSA

Your responses will be an important contribution to this campaign to protect our patients and stop a chaotic increase in patient demand for sleep studies, reviews and compliance checks which we believe are unnecessary and will put an extra burden on already over-subscribed sleep services. Working together we can influence change nationally.

Many thanks on behalf of all our organisations.

Dr Brendan Cooper, President, AHCS