OT-Led Rehabilitation Service
Driving Rehabilitation: Rebuild Your Confidence Behind the Wheel
Losing the confidence or physical ability to drive after an injury, illness or surgery can feel devastating. For many people, driving represents independence — the freedom to visit family, attend appointments and live life on their own terms. Our occupational therapists provide home-based driving rehabilitation across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.
Kate Griffiths
Senior Occupational Therapist
Lead OT for Driving Rehabilitation
"With the occupational therapy lens, we look at the activities that are meaningful and purposeful in someone's life and include those in the rehab. It's not just about the physical side of driving — it's about getting back to doing life."
What Is Driving Rehabilitation?
Driving rehabilitation is a structured programme of occupational therapy focused on rebuilding the physical and functional skills you need to drive comfortably and confidently. It is not a fitness-to-drive assessment or a driving test — only the DVLA has the legal authority to determine whether someone is fit to hold a driving licence.
Instead, our OTs work with you on practical, real-world skills in your own home and at your own vehicle:
Vehicle Transfers
Getting in and out of your car safely, with or without mobility aids
Physical Conditioning
Rebuilding strength, range of motion and reaction speed for pedal control and steering
Confidence Building
Graded, step-by-step reintroduction to driving at your pace
Adaptive Equipment Advice
Swivel cushions, key turners, pedal modifications and other simple aids
Who Is Driving Rehabilitation For?
Our service is designed for people recovering from conditions that have affected their physical ability or confidence to drive, including:
Hip Fracture
After surgery, many people struggle with the physical demands of getting into a car, operating pedals and feeling confident enough to drive again.
Stroke
Rebuilding upper limb function, reaction time and the physical conditioning needed for vehicle control.
Joint Replacement
Regaining the range of motion and comfort required for safe driving after hip or knee replacement.
Prolonged Illness or Hospital Stay
Extended periods of immobility can significantly reduce the strength and coordination needed for driving.
Falls & Loss of Confidence
A serious fall can shatter confidence in all activities, including driving. Our graded approach helps rebuild it step by step.
Neurological Conditions
Conditions such as Parkinson's or MS that may affect motor control and coordination over time.
A Real Example: Getting Back Behind the Wheel After a Hip Fracture
One of our patients — a woman living independently — fractured her hip in a fall and had a dynamic hip screw. She contacted us for physiotherapy, but after our initial triage we matched her with a rehabilitation OT instead. Her hospital exercises had stalled because she didn't know when it was safe to progress.
As rehabilitation progressed, it became clear that driving was her most meaningful goal. She was full of anxiety: Do I have the leg strength for an emergency stop? How will I manage my walking stick? What if I park somewhere with tight spaces?
Her OT broke driving down into its component tasks. First, they practised the emergency stop movement at home. Then they went out to the car together — starting with an emergency stop in the car park, then a short drive around familiar roads. By the third driving session, she drove independently to meet her OT.
The outcome? She was back picking up her grandchildren and taking them out. That was the moment she knew she was truly herself again.
How It Works
Phone Consultation
Call us and speak to our Clinical Director, who will discuss your situation and goals. This is free and carries no obligation.
Home Assessment
A qualified OT visits you at home to assess your physical function — strength, range of motion, balance, coordination and reaction time — and observe how you manage vehicle transfers.
Rehabilitation Programme
Targeted exercises, vehicle transfer practice, graded in-car practice, outdoor mobility and confidence building — all tailored to your goals.
Onward Referral
If needed, we can signpost you to an accredited Driving Mobility Centre for a formal fitness-to-drive assessment.
Important: What This Service Is — and Isn't
This service IS:
- OT rehabilitation to rebuild driving-related functional skills
- Confidence building and graded reintroduction to driving
- Practical advice on adaptive equipment and vehicle transfers
- Conducted by HCPC-registered, RCOT-member occupational therapists
This service is NOT:
- A fitness-to-drive assessment (only the DVLA can determine this)
- A driving test or formal evaluation of your safety to drive
- A replacement for a Driving Mobility Centre assessment
- A service that can declare you "fit", "safe" or "ready" to drive
Our practice is guided by the RCOT guidance on fitness to drive and the DVLA's medical standards guidance.
A Gap in Local Services
Following the closure of Wessex DriveAbility in March 2023, Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire lost their dedicated regional driving assessment centre. The nearest formal Driving Mobility assessments are now a considerable distance away, in centres such as Leatherhead, Worthing, Weymouth and Yeovil.
Our driving rehabilitation service does not replace these formal assessments, but it fills a crucial gap — helping you prepare physically and mentally before a formal assessment, or providing the rehabilitation support you need to return to driving confidently after your GP or consultant has given clearance.
Why Choose Medella?
Home-Based & In-Context
We come to you and work at your own vehicle, in your own environment. We can also work with you in other environments that matter — a family member's home, a local car park — so your rehabilitation reflects real life.
Experienced OTs
All our occupational therapists are HCPC-registered with extensive clinical experience. Kate Griffiths, our lead OT for driving rehabilitation, has over 20 years' experience.
The OT Approach
Our OTs don't just focus on the physical side of driving. They look at the whole activity — the meaningful occupations you want to return to — and address every component, from managing your walking stick at a kerb to navigating stairs in a different environment.
Integrated Team
Our OTs work alongside our physiotherapists, so we can address both the functional skills and the physical rehabilitation needed. If your OT identifies a concern that needs physio input, that collaboration happens seamlessly.
Local Knowledge
We cover the whole of Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, including Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole, Salisbury and surrounding areas.
Fast Access
No lengthy NHS waiting lists. We can typically arrange a first visit within days, not months.
More Patient Stories
Transforming Independence in a Care Home
A resident with Parkinson's was unable to stand from her chair or reach her walking frame. A simple room redesign by our OT restored her independence — no new equipment needed.
Read Full StoryFrom Failed Discharge to Independent Living
After a failed hospital discharge left her in respite care, a joint OT and physio programme rebuilt her independence over eight weeks — until she returned home with no care package.
Read Full StoryPricing
Driving rehabilitation is delivered as part of our occupational therapy service. Prices vary by session length and travel distance.
£120
Initial Assessment
60-90 minutes
£60
30-min Follow-up
30 minutes
£90
45-min Follow-up
45 minutes
Ready to Get Back Behind the Wheel?
If you or a family member has lost confidence driving after an injury, illness or surgery, we are here to help. Call us to speak with our Clinical Director — there is no obligation and the initial conversation is completely free.