If you are having a taxi driver medical in the UK then you won’t usually need to have a heart test such as an ECG. However, there are some cases in which extra tests may be required. You will probably need to have a cardiac test during your taxi driver medical if you have been diagnosed with a heart problem.

You should have informed the DVLA and your licensing authority when you were first diagnosed with the condition. Your driving and taxi licenses may have been suspended for a while if it was likely to affect your driving. You will usually be advised to undergo a medical (including a heart test) once your condition is under control and you are ready to drive again. You may then need to have more frequent taxi driver medicals in the future, depending on the condition and how it was treated. Your medicals will also usually need to include some extra checks on your cardiac health.

The most common heart test performed during taxi driver medicals is the ECG. The ECG or electrocardiogram will measure the electrical activity that controls your heartbeat to check for issues such as arrhythmias or signs of cardiovascular disease. You won’t feel anything during the test and it is completely safe. In some cases, you may need to jog on a treadmill during the ECG so that the doctor can check how your heart reacts to physical exertion. You won’t need to run very fast or for very long, but you should be ready to exercise a little if your medical will include the stress ECG test.

Other heart tests such as an echocardiogram (an ultrasound to check on the structure and function of your heart), a 24 hour ECG or a 24 hour blood pressure monitor may be required, depending on the type of heart problem you had. As long as you pass the medical and your symptoms remain under control, you should be able to keep driving your taxi. However, you should inform your doctor, the DVLA and the licensing authority if there are any changes in your condition that could affect your driving.