Applicant information and guidance for the Secretary of State for Transport's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel Members
Guidance for applicants for roles on the Secretary of State for Transport's Honorary Medical Advisory Panels
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
1. The role and responsibilities of members of the honorary medical advisory panels
The role of the medical panels are to help maintain and improve road safety by providing the Secretary of State for Transport (SoS) (in practice the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) with medical expert advice about the relevant medical condition and its impact on driving.
Panel members play an integral part in this by providing advice about medical standards for fitness to drive that accurately reflects the current understanding of a medical condition and its effect on the ability to drive.
Qualities required for the roles of members
To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment.
Skills, knowledge and experience for the advertised role
Expertise:
- able to explain area of specialism/interest clearly and apply it where relevant, sharing this knowledge in a way that invites further questions and be able to check all parties’ understanding (essential)
Knowledge and experience:
- expert in field of specialism (essential)
- experience of carrying out specialist research and presenting findings through written and oral communications (essential)
- experience of advisory panel work (desirable)
- experience of attending tribunals/court cases (desirable)
Qualifications:
- GMC or NMC registered and licenced to practice (essential)
- currently in clinical practice (essential)
- membership or fellowship of a relevant Royal College or similar organisation (for example, professional or learned societies) for example, the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), British Cardiovascular Society (BCS), Royal College of Nursing and
Midwifery (essential) - full driving licence (desirable)
Working with others:
- open and honest with excellent listening skills (essential)
- prepare to challenge and be able to argue a position, and also thereafter to be challenged and be open to such a challenge (essential)
- driven, with stamina and commitment and have the ability to reach decisions as part of a team (essential)
Analysis:
- able to read and interpret large quantities of complex information from different sources and be conscious of details but also be able to select relevant material and see links between items (essential)
Judgement and decision making:
- use logical reasoning and a structured approach (essential)
- be an independent thinker and be prepared to state and support their own decision whilst able to follow oral argument (essential)
- be able to balance evidence, keep to the facts and apply objectivity (essential)
Remuneration
Expenses will be paid in line with Civil Service policy. You may claim travel and subsistence expenses, which are properly and necessarily incurred in carrying out your role and responsibilities as a Panel Member, in line with travel and subsistence policy and rates.
Time commitment
For Expert members, a minimum of 4 days work per year (2 days attributed to Panel meetings and up to 2 days to review papers in preparation for the meetings). For Chairs, the expectation is a minimum of 6 days of work per year (3 days for Panel related meetings and 3 days for meeting preparation). Members may also be required to visit the Swansea site or attend a Teams induction session to familiarise themselves with DVLA.
Applicants are encouraged to discuss the time requirements of this role with their employer before submitting their application, to ensure they will be able to fulfil the time requirements.
Location
Meetings will usually take place face to face in London, however they may sometimes be held virtually through Microsoft Teams, or a combination of both. We will advise you of the exact arrangements each time we organise a meeting.
Tenure of office
The Secretary of State determines the length of the appointment, which can be initially up to 5 years, with the possibility to extend to 10 years in future. Appointments can occasionally be extended beyond 10 years, but only in exceptional circumstances and with agreement from all relevant parties, most pertinently the appointing Minister.
2. How to apply
Making an application
To make an application please email your CV, a supporting letter and completed monitoring forms to: MedicalPanelApplications@dvla.gov.uk
Your application must be received by 23:59 on the date specified on the vacancy advertisement. This time and date is non-negotiable – late entries will not be considered due to logistical reasons.
In making an application please note the following:
Interview dates
Based on previous schemes of this nature, levels of interest are always high and the logistical effort involved in scheduling interview times to suit both the candidate and those on the interviewing panel is significant. For this reason, we are unable to accommodate requests for interviews outside the dates specified on the vacancy advertisement. Candidates are advised not to apply should they have availability issues during the specified interview dates.
Supporting letter and CV
The supporting letter is your opportunity to demonstrate how you meet the criteria set out in the Person Specification. It will benefit the Assessment Panel if you can clearly evidence your area of specialism, along with a clear summary of the essential skills, knowledge and experience outlined. You also need to:
- write all acronyms in full first
- ensure your full name and the panel to which you are applying are clearly noted at the top of your letter
- limit your letter to 2 pages, and type or write clearly in black ink on a white background
Declaration of Interests
If you have any business or personal interests that might be relevant to the work of the panel and which could lead to a real or perceived conflict of interest were you to be appointed, please provide details in your supporting letter.
If appointed, you will also be required to declare these interests on appointment and these interests will be published on GOV.UK.
Please ensure your CV includes:
- your full name, title, home address, personal contact telephone numbers (land line and mobile) and personal email address
- similar contact details for a referee who will support your application - the referee should be the person to whom you are (or were) accountable in your current and most recent appointment or position of employment - and you need to indicate the relationship of the referee to you
- full details of your current or most recent post and the dates you occupied this role, plus any past or present Ministerial appointments
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
The Department for Transport operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for disabled people. The Equality Act 2010 defines a person as disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Under the GIS a disabled candidate will be selected for interview if they meet the essential criteria for the post.
If you wish to apply under the GIS please complete the GIS form and return it with your application.
All applications will be acknowledged by email.
Further information regarding the role of the Panel and the role of a Member
Email: nick.jenkins@dvla.gov.uk
Dr Nick Jenkins BSc, MBBCh, FRCS, FRCEM, MCh Senior Doctor DVLA
3. The selection process
DVLA Appointments Team will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will advise you of the likely timetable at each stage.
After the closing date for applications the timetable is as follows:
- The Assessment Panel will assess candidates’ CVs and supporting letters to determine who it believes best meet the criteria for the role, and who will be invited to interview. The Assessment Panel will rely only on the information you provide in your CV and letter to assess whether you have the skills and experience required.
- The Assessment Panel will select the strongest applicants for interview who have demonstrated that they best meet the criteria set out in the person specification.
- After shortlisting is completed, the Appointments Team will email to let you know whether or not you have been invited to interview.
- If you are invited to interview, if the date and time is not suitable to you then every effort will be made to offer you an alternative date and time, but unfortunately this cannot be guaranteed.
- Candidates who the Panel believe are appointable will be recommended to the Minister who will make the final decision. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a time gap between their interview and a final appointment decision being made. We aim to keep this to a maximum of 3 months, but sometimes this can take longer. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.
- If you are successful, you will receive a letter from the Minister appointing you as Honorary Panel Member, which will confirm the terms on which the appointment is offered.
- If you are unsuccessful at interview, you will be notified by the Appointments Team and we will provide feedback on request. We may also approach you about remaining on a merit list or talent pool for future opportunities. We appreciate it takes a lot of time and effort to apply for roles and that feedback is a valuable part of the process.
Queries about your application
For queries about the status of your application, or any problems submitting it, please contact MedicalPanelApplications@dvla.gov.uk
Diversity and equality of opportunity
The Department for transport and DVLA values and promotes diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community.
Retention of Data
The personal data which you provide, and which we may request in connection with your application will not be retained beyond 12 months should your application be unsuccessful. If you are appointed to the post applied for, your personal data will only be used for the purposes of Human Resources.