Pilot Medical Declaration
About the CAA Pilot Medical Declaration
The Aviation safety (amendment) regulations 2021 amends UK Part MED and UK SFCL to permit use of a medical declaration by SPL holders (in the UK only).
The CAA Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD) may be utilised by SPL holders and those converting from BGA qualification to an SPL. Read more about the PMD here.
Pilots must not make a pilot medical declaration if they do not reasonably believe that they meet the medical requirements for a Group 1 (Car) Licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Making a Pilot Medical Declaration
The CAA’s medical portal is called Cellma. To access Cellma, pilots need to open a CAA customer account on the CAA Portal.
Step 1. If you do not already have a CAA Portal account you can apply for one at https://www.caa.co.uk/Our-work/About-us/Doing-business-with-the-CAA/Customer-portal/ . Having created your Portal account you then need to apply for the medical service. Please be aware that it can take 5 working days for the CAA to add the medical service to your portal account. You should receive a confirmation email from CAA.
Step 2. Log into your CAA Portal account and access the medical service portal ‘Cellma’. Once you have the medical service activated you can log in to complete your medical application and pay the CAA application fee.
If you are struggling, you can email the CAA via medicalweb@caa.co.uk
Step 3. Once into Cellma, the ‘application’ page should let you make a Pilot Medical Declaration.
Copy of online Pilot Medical Declaration.
Please note that having made a Pilot Medical Declaration on the Cellma site, you will then have access to the declaration in your Cellma records. Under ‘Applications’, open “in progress and completed applications”, then “view” the pilot medical declaration, then search for the ‘download’ or ‘print’ options. Opening the listed declaration should allow you to view and download a copy.
If the declaration is incomplete, ie missing name and PMD submission number, the CAA recommends that the pilot prints and countersigns the medical self-declaration page with the following:
‘I confirm this pilot medical declaration print out is applicable to me and is correct’
Print Name
CAA Reference Number
Sign Date
This will link the self-declaration approval to the pilot and enable a check of the signature against that of the pilot’s licence for assurance purposes if required.
The CAA also recommends that where a PMD has been submitted and shows incorrect validity dates, the declaration should be resubmitted.
Please report any problems to the CAA Cellma team via medicalweb@caa.co.uk
Making a PMD aged under 16
Proof of address is a problem due to age. However, it is acceptable to attach a bank account statement. Do this in the drop down select for a mortgage statement (there is no drop down for bank statement).
The portal will not accept anyone aged under 15 so the answer is to change the DOB by 1 year to make yourself 15 years old. You must then call 03300221972 select option 1 where a helpful CAA person will change the DOB at the CAA end.
Once the CAA Portal is approved, you will receive a CAA number and then you can input the medical info for the PMD.
What medical conditions do you need to report to the DVLA?
Driving is something many of us do on a daily basis and often take for granted. Since passing our driving test most drivers don’t give this a second thought. You might need to declare worsening eyesight, new medical conditions, a change of name or gender to the DVLA. Failing to tell the DVLA could result in a hefty fine. Things are so much simpler if you are upfront, open and honest from the start.
Who are the DVLA?
The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is the agency tasked by the UK government with keeping a record of all the many millions of drivers, and vehicles, on UK roads. With such a vast database to keep track of, the DVLA relies on drivers and vehicle owners to update information as and when it changes. It has two separate registers of information – one for drivers and one for vehicles. The driver register contains every driver’s name, address, date of birth, photograph, entitlements to drive, penalty points (endorsements) and disqualifications, convictions and conviction dates, and any relevant medical details. If you don’t declare changes to the DVLA then you be fined up to £1,000. You could be putting yourself and other drivers at risk for failing to disclose this information.
Changing Medical Conditions
From Agoraphobia and Alzheimer’s to Vertigo and Visual Impairments, there’s a long list of health conditions that need to be disclosed to the DVLA. Your health may have changed and it’s important any changes likely to affect your driving are reported to the DVLA.
If you’re wondering what health conditions can affect your driving go to this link for help: https://www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving/find-condition-a-to-z
If you have any health condition at all then it’s well worth checking this A to Z List to see if you need to report your condition. You can also find the appropriate DVLA form or questionnaire there for you to complete. Once you’ve done this the DVLA will assess your medical condition and decide if:
- You need to get a new driving licence.
- Your licence needs to be shortened to one, two, three or five years.
- You need to add special controls to your car.
- You must stop driving and give up your licence.
The consequences for not doing so can be serious. A fine of £1,000 could be heading your way and if you’re involved in an accident as a result of your condition you could be prosecuted.
Some of the most common conditions that need to be disclosed include:
- Epilepsy – While everyone with epilepsy must inform the DVLA of their condition, this doesn’t mean they’ll never be allowed to drive again. For example, in some cases, if it was your first seizure then you may be allowed to drive six months later. Epilepsy Action has plenty of helpful information on driving and epilepsy.
- Blackouts, fainting, loss of consciousness – A common occurrence that may have no effect on your ability to keep driving. But depending on how often it happens you’ll need to speak to your doctor, and you may need to tell the DVLA.
- Diabetes – Again just because you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes doesn’t mean you’ll have to tell the DVLA. It really depends on how your condition is being treated and whether you develop diabetes complications making it harder for you to drive. These complications could include things like problems with your eyes (retinopathy) or nerve damage (neuropathy). Go to Diabetes UK to find out more.
- Neurological conditions – Dementia, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and a host of other conditions affecting your nervous system can all affect your ability to drive safely. You’ll need to discuss driving with your doctor and will probably need to inform the DVLA.
- Heart or circulatory conditions – According to the British Heart Foundation, few drivers have to give up driving altogether because of these conditions. But you’ll still need to speak to your doctor and might need to inform the DVLA of your condition.
If a condition or disability has got worse since you got your licence, then it’s also important to inform the DVLA.
Eyesight Changes
Vision is clearly vitally important to safe driving. To meet the minimum eyesight standards for driving, you must be able to read a car number plate from 20 metres away and have an adequate field of vision. You can wear your glasses or contact lenses if necessary. Find out more about the legal requirements on the government’s website.
Visual impairments that could affect your ability to drive include:
- Cataracts – Cataracts can affect one or both eyes and result in the lens becoming opaque and causing blurred vision. Depending on the progression of the cataracts this might not impact you driving for some time.
- Age-related macular degeneration – One of the leading causes of sight loss in older people. It can distort vision and make objects appear blurred. It may cause difficulty in reading road signs and seeing pedestrians or other obstacles.
- Glaucoma – If left untreated this condition can cause irreversible sight loss and even blindness. But if you’re diagnosed early and follow the advice of your doctor it may never affect your driving. Indeed, according to Glaucoma UK only 12% of people with glaucoma lose their driving licence.
70 Years Old
What do I need to do when I reach 70 years of age? You won’t need to declare this to the DVLA, they’ll know already but if you’re over 70 and want to keep on driving, you will have to renew your driving licence. Age UK has lots of great information explaining how to go about doing this, and tips on keeping you safely on the road in later life.
Dr Alan Muir MBBS MFOM DAvMed
4th January 2025
Booking a CAA medical examination
If you need a medical certificate (eg Class 2) issued by an AME, you will need to pre-book via Cellma by supplying information and paying a CAA fee. You can then contact an AME to arrange the examination, following which you pay the AME a much larger fee.
Links
CAA GA pilot medical requirements webpage
An unofficial guide to registering on the CAA portal
CAA medical information webpage, including CELLMA, find an AME, etc.
DVLA customer guide for those with a medical condition