Fitness to drive of people with haemophilia and other coagulation disorders

The Health Council of the Netherlands advises scrapping the medical examination for drivers with haemophilia and other coagulation disorders.

Until a few decades ago, severe gradations of coagulation disorders caused symptoms including recurrent joint bleedings causing functional joint impairment. These could lead to joint impairments that affected the people in question’s fitness to drive. For this reason, the Health Council advised in 1994 to have people with a coagulation disorder undergo a medical examination when they applied for a driving licence, as well as periodic re-examinations.

Since that time, treatments for coagulation disorders have improved significantly. The Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management therefore asked the Health Council to review its advice. The Health Council concludes that the improved preventive treatment options have strongly reduced the risk of developing joint impairments due to haemophilia and other coagulation disorders. As a result, a medical examination for drivers with haemophilia and other coagulation disorders on the basis of these conditions alone is no longer required.