Blackmailed by my local doctor's surgery

[Barleycorn]

4 years on, and my licence has come up again. This time I had to pay the £35, BASC seem to have given up the fight.

 

[puppet]

£35 seems reasonable for a 5 year certificate. £100 is not.
Your GP is under no obligation to complete private reports and it is extra work which they are not paid for otherwise. The fee might seem high for a few minutes work looking through your records but with an average annual rate of 5 per year they may have 25 consultations to read. Not everyone with a gun is a healthy farmer.

And when you blow someone's head off the police are certainly going to be round to the GP going through the records with a tooth-comb so the fee covers other eventualities.

 

[steveR]

My GP practice are 'conscientious objectors' to firearm ownership so they refuse to do any letters for certificates.
So I have to pay another doctor to get my records and send the letter. Madness.

Urban??

 

[Mr Mackay]

I was wondering if you lot had been discussing this !!
Had my coterminous renewal form in yesterday ! I see its a requirement after 1st April to send in a factual medical report from your GP ,with your application (according to a covering letter in the renewal reminder !
So I assumed you dont need a letter for the thing ,but website says send in a form from your GP anyway ????? How does that work ?? Is a 'factual' report different from the one that you have all been discussing or what ?
Anyrood ,have downloaded the form for our GP and will go and drop it off this afternoon when I go for the old Covid jab !!
Can do without the mither !!

 

[PDE1]

And hope your gap will do it

 

[steveR]

I was wondering if you lot had been discussing this !!
Had my coterminous renewal form in yesterday ! I see its a requirement after 1st April to send in a factual medical report from your GP ,with your application (according to a covering letter in the renewal reminder !
So I assumed you dont need a letter for the thing ,but website says send in a form from your GP anyway ????? How does that work ?? Is a 'factual' report different from the one that you have all been discussing or what ?
Anyrood ,have downloaded the form for our GP and will go and drop it off this afternoon when I go for the old Covid jab !!
Can do without the mither !!

Phew, glad mine was done before that nonsense. These changes always need a few months te sort themselves out.

At least you are saved the visit from the FO. Is your's SL?

 

[Longlowdog]

£35 for fitness to own firearms form from my G.P in Aberdeenshire but one note for coterminous renewal of S.G, FAC and air rifle so total cost for 5 years £105. Not too bad really.

 

[Mr Mackay]

Phew, glad mine was done before that nonsense. These changes always need a few months te sort themselves out.

At least you are saved the visit from the FO. Is your's SL?

SL ? Is that presumeably no visit as such ? I left the downloaded letter off the West Mercia website , filled out ,and with a covering letter to the doctors surgery yesterday when I went for some meds !
The letter said ,would they fill this out for me please ,(if they considered me fit ) and I did understand there may be a charge possibly ! So the receptionist took it and said she would ask Doctor
Its all understandable ,but hope common sense prevails

 

[Mr Mackay]

I have had mine done and Doctors charged £30 ,which is ok I suppose . Not everyone wants to do that , I even heard of a chap requesting his medical notes after refusing to pay the Doctor . It seemed to work although its not perhaps the best way of approaching it ! People dont like change ,especially if it costs them ,but sensible charges are ok I believe !

 

[PDE1]

My doctors won’t fill in the form because they object to people owning guns, so I have found a GP I know who will do it but I have got to get my med records. Now the doctors have to provide these within 28 days but you have to email them for a request form to do this. They ignored my email untill I chased them up by phone , I filled it in and delivered it to the surgery. Two weeks went by so I rang again to be told they had lost the form and I would have to do it again. This I did but a week later they can’t even confirm they have got the request let alone are going to deal with it. In the meantime I can’t start my renewal as it has to be done online and if you haven’t got your Gp report within 14 days you have to start all over again. It all feels like catch 22.

 

[Hindsight]

My doctors won’t fill in the form because they object to people owning guns, so I have found a GP I know who will do it but I have got to get my med records. Now the doctors have to provide these within 28 days but you have to email them for a request form to do this. They ignored my email untill I chased them up by phone , I filled it in and delivered it to the surgery. Two weeks went by so I rang again to be told they had lost the form and I would have to do it again. This I did but a week later they can’t even confirm they have got the request let alone are going to deal with it. In the meantime I can’t start my renewal as it has to be done online and if you haven’t got your Gp report within 14 days you have to start all over again. It all feels like catch 22.

Have you informed the Police Firearms department of this obfuscation. I would. Remember it will be you at risk of fine and or imprisonment if your licence is not renewed in time and you are found in possession of a shotgun or firearm. Some 25 years ago when things were more gentle I forgot to renew and wrote a letter of apology to Lincs Police with my renewal and cheque - to have a visit a few days later from the local Police Constable - thank goodness he was a man with three Labradors and enjoyed his shooting. He delayed 'arresting' me for a couple of days while I found where I had left my shotgun in the secure cabinet of friend with a valid licence. Once I informd him where I had 'found' the gun he decided not to arrest me. But the Lincs Police sent a patrol car with two officers a day or so later to check the gun was at my friend and to corroborate the story.

£30 GPs fee here - paid over the phone yesterday. And hopefully I can then complete the application process.

 

[PDE1]

Our firearms officer is fully aware of this, they are having trouble with surgeries around here doing the same, my guns will have to be lodged with a registered gun dealer in a months time, it takes about 8 weeks for Sussex police to process applications and I have lost about two months so far

 

[Dry Rot]

My doctors won’t fill in the form because they object to people owning guns, so I have found a GP I know who will do it but I have got to get my med records. Now the doctors have to provide these within 28 days but you have to email them for a request form to do this. They ignored my email untill I chased them up by phone , I filled it in and delivered it to the surgery. Two weeks went by so I rang again to be told they had lost the form and I would have to do it again. This I did but a week later they can’t even confirm they have got the request let alone are going to deal with it. In the meantime I can’t start my renewal as it has to be done online and if you haven’t got your Gp report within 14 days you have to start all over again. It all feels like catch 22.

I hate this sort of thing. What next? Do they object to doing something because of the colour of a patient's skin?

Here is a quotation from the British Medical Council's code of ethics. It seems to me, they can't just turn away a patient because they don't agree with their life style. "You" in this context is the doctor.

Personal beliefs and medical practice

Personal beliefs and medical practice including advice on conscientious objections. From our Personal beliefs and medical practice guidance.

www.gmc-uk.org

52. You must explain to patients if you have a conscientious objection to a particular procedure. You must tell them about their right to see another doctor and make sure they have enough information to exercise that right. In providing this information you must not imply or express disapproval of the patient’s lifestyle, choices or beliefs. If it is not practical for a patient to arrange to see another doctor, you must make sure that arrangements are made for another suitably qualified colleague to take over your role.

 

[Hilly]

I can understand an admin fee but a medical for hgv is or was £90 but they do have to spend 30 minutes with you and then fill out forms, just seems a lot of money to say we never see him.

Your getting ripped off at nhs doctors , go private cheaper lol much

 

[PDE1]

It’s not the doctor you are dealing with, it’s the practice manager. Since our rural practice was taken over by a town centre one and then shut we don’t have an allocated doctor just whoever is available. I don’t suppose a doctor has anything to do with this.

 

[Swarfmonkey]

Our firearms officer is fully aware of this, they are having trouble with surgeries around here doing the same, my guns will have to be lodged with a registered gun dealer in a months time, it takes about 8 weeks for Sussex police to process applications and I have lost about two months so far

MedCert is the way to go if you're in that position.

 

[farmerm]

My doctors won’t fill in the form because they object to people owning guns, so I have found a GP I know who will do it but I have got to get my med records. Now the doctors have to provide these within 28 days but you have to email them for a request form to do this. They ignored my email untill I chased them up by phone , I filled it in and delivered it to the surgery. Two weeks went by so I rang again to be told they had lost the form and I would have to do it again. This I did but a week later they can’t even confirm they have got the request let alone are going to deal with it. In the meantime I can’t start my renewal as it has to be done online and if you haven’t got your Gp report within 14 days you have to start all over again. It all feels like catch 22.

If they openly admit to refusing because they object to legal gun ownership are they not guilty of illegal discrimination?

 

[farmerm]

I have had mine done and Doctors charged £30 ,which is ok I suppose . Not everyone wants to do that , I even heard of a chap requesting his medical notes after refusing to pay the Doctor . It seemed to work although its not perhaps the best way of approaching it ! People dont like change ,especially if it costs them ,but sensible charges are ok I believe !

Are West Mercia also insisting on a Dr letter now? We seemed to be spared the last time mine was due. I haven't been to my GP surgery in years. Seems these days it is the case of making an appointment and then cancelling it because by the time the appointment day finally arrives one has either recovered or been buried

 

[puppet]

If they openly admit to refusing because they object to legal gun ownership are they not guilty of illegal discrimination?

You are not getting your operation while still smoking.
You will not get a liver transplant if you have had a drink within 6 months.
I will not sign your abortion papers due to my beliefs.
I don't believe that people should own guns.

Any difference?

 

[caveman]

What would be a reasonable charge for every minute over the appointment time you spend with the doctor?

Presumably, payable to those waiting over their appointment time?