The bin lorry driven by Harry Clarke crashed after going out of control, killing six pedestrians
A doctor has admitted he failed to get an accurate account of what happened to the Glasgow bin lorry crash driver when he previously blacked out behind the wheel of a bus.
Harry Clarke lost consciousness while working for First Bus in April 2010.
He gave differing accounts of what had happened to his employer and to his GP.
Mr Clarke went on to work for Glasgow City Council and was at the wheel of the bin lorry which crashed last year, killing six people.
The 58-year-old was unconscious when the bin lorry veered out of control in Glasgow city centre on 22 December.
Dr Kenneth Lyons, the medical advisor to First Bus, speaking at the fatal accident inquiry into the tragedy, said he was told Mr Clarke lost consciousness on a stationary bus for five to 10 seconds during the 2010 incident.
But the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court has also heard Mr Clarke told his own GP that he had collapsed in a canteen.
It was put to Dr Lyons by Solicitor General Lesley Thomson that there was a missed opportunity for the two doctors to get a more accurate version of what had actually happened.
Dr Lyons said he recognised this with hindsight.
It also emerged in court that Dr Lyons did not receive any report from the First Bus inspector who had said Mr Clarke had a blackout at the wheel.
The court previously heard evidence from inspector John Stewart, who told the FAI that Mr Clarke blacked out at a bus stop in 2010.
When questioned by his own lawyer, Helen Watts, Dr Lyons said he did not have Mr Stewart's report available to him at the time.
Dr Kenneth Lyons worked for First Bus when Harry Clarke was a bus driver
Dr Lyons has subsequently spoken to First Bus management, the court heard, to make sure such reports were made available in the future so there is never a repeat of that situation.
The court was told about Mr Clarke's medical history, which included fainting in 1989, dizziness on a bus in 1994 and an incident in 2003 when he reported dizziness and was told to not drive an oil tanker.
When cross examined by Dorothy Bain QC, who is representing the family of crash victim Jacqueline Morton, Dr Lyons said that if he had known about Mr Clarke's medical history, he would have told him not to drive, and reported him to the DVLA and First Bus management.
Dr Lyons also observed that Mr Clarke did not tell the truth on two very important parts of a First Bus health declaration form in 2008 - when he selected 'no' when asked about a history of various conditions and 'no' to a section about blackouts and dizziness. In both instances, he should have marked 'yes'.
The evidence of Dr Lyons comes a day after Dr Gerard McKaig, Mr Clarke's GP, said the information the driver gave to medical staff on the day of the bin lorry crash - that he had no history of blackouts prior to that fatal incident - was "not consistent with his medical history".
(Clockwise from top left) Jack Sweeney, Lorraine Sweeney, Erin McQuade, Jacqueline Morton, Stephenie Tait and Gillian Ewing were killed in the crash
In his evidence to the inquiry, Dr Lyons said he had told Mr Clarke to "remain off driving duties" while his health was investigated after the 2010 incident.
He examined Mr Clarke the day after the fainting and subsequently sent a letter to the practice of his GP.
The letter described how Mr Clarke's loss of consciousness took place on a stationary bus and asked for further advice.
Under questioning from Ms Thomson, Dr Lyons said he "didn't want to influence" information he hoped to receive from Mr Clarke's GP and he "intentionally" did not include some details of the incident - such as Mr Clarke was working while on the bus - as he was seeking the GP's view.
The court had earlier heard from Dr McKaig, who said Mr Clarke had told him that he had fainted in a canteen.
The GP then went on annual leave, so Dr Lyons received a response to his letter from a Dr Langan, who worked at the same practice as Dr McKaig.
The letter said Mr Clarke had been "waiting for his lunch in a hot environment" when he fainted, and the driver was "unlikely to have another one".
It concluded Mr Clarke was "fit to return to work as a bus driver".
Dr Lyons said this account was not "totally different" from what Mr Clarke had told him, as the letter "didn't say it wasn't on a bus".
Following Dr Langan's letter, Dr Lyons wrote a report for First Bus on Mr Clarke and advised he was "fit to return to driving duties".
Erin McQuade, 18, her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife Lorraine, all from Dumbarton, died in the incident in the city's Queen Street and George Square.
Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, were also killed when the truck mounted the pavement before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel.
A further 15 people were injured.
The Crown Office has said there will be no criminal prosecution over the crash.
