Certification - Bus Pass

In England, individuals can apply for a bus pass for free travel when they reach their state pension age (60 in London and Wales). The "eligible disabled" (as described in the list below) may also apply for a pass, and patients may attend with forms for the doctor to sign to prove eligibility. This is a poor use of NHS resources when there are many other ways of proving eligibility without using GP time and resources.

• There is no obligation to sign these forms
• If you do so, you may charge a reasonable fee

We have provided the following templates which we hope you find useful:

• letter to your patient
• letter to the bus company

(Our thanks to Dr Terry and partners in Southampton for letting us use their letters to design these templates.)

The Government Department of Transport recommendation to Local Authorities is that GPs should not be used to verify claims and ideally the Local Authority should set up assessment centres for people seeking concessionary passes who do not have other methods of proving disability (such as receipt of invalidity benefit, ownership of a blue badge, etc)

(see Guidance to Local Authorities on assessing eligibility of disabled people in England for concessionary bus travel)

Eligible Disabled Criteria listed on the government website is as follows:

• if you are blind or partially sighted
• if you are profoundly or severely deaf
• if you are without speech
• if you have a disability, or have suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk
• if you do not have arms or have long-term loss of the use of both arms
• if you have a learning disability - a state of arrested development since birth
• If you would be refused a driving licence due to physical fitness (Section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1988)
• If you are a member or veteran of the Armed Services who has been seriously injured in service