DOCTORS in Scotland's largest hospital failed to advise patients who had suffered blackouts not to drive, it has emerged.
In the wake of the George Square bin lorry crash in 2014, medics at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital reviewed information given to patients who could be a risk on the roads.
Out of almost 140 people seen at A & E departments for conditions including seizures and heart rhythm problems, only 34 were definitely told not to drive.
The findings were revealed through a trawl of patient records carried. Scot Muir, one of the authors of the report, said that the results "eye-opening" and were circulated among frontline staff, prompting them to become more vigilant about discussing Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) regulations.
Six pedestrians were killed when Harry Clarke lost conciousness while driving as bin lorry through Glasgow city centre and the vehicle veered out of control.
Dr Muir and Adam Williamson, a teaching fellow, trawled case notes of patients treated between April and July 2015 for forms of blackout, identifying 40 patients who had suffered a seizure for the first time. Of these, 19 were given the correct driving advice.
A further 42 were found with heart defects, and nine were spoken to. Three-quarters of the patients reviewed in the study, which appears in the Scottish Medical Journal, had follow-up appointments booked where they may have received the proper advice.
Dr Muir also noted that staff may have told patients not to drive, but not written the advice in their notes. But he also concluded that some doctors may not me aware of DVLA rules.
He said: "It could be dangerous. The patients really do need to be advised appropriately."
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