- Location
- Northumberland
Your police authority should make it clear they will be going to ask your GPs opinion, and that your GP may charge for this service.
Fire arms licensing department/ medical condition
- Thread starter icanshootwell
- Start date
Your police authority should make it clear they will be going to ask your GPs opinion, and that your GP may charge for this service.
Farfrae
Member
- Location
- Pontargothi, Carmarthenshire
Your GP has to go through all your notes (possibly when you were at other practices or under the care of other doctors etc). Did you suffer from fits or epilepsy as a child for example, did you suffer from any of the many issues that might be relevant). He/she then has to make a professional judgement for which ultimately they could be sued if they get it wrong. But apparently he/she should do it for nothing so that you can persue your sport/hobby with a gun and cartridges costing many times more. In my opinion £48 is inexpensive for that every 5 years. Your sense of entitlement and that you 'should put them in their place' says far more about you than about your doctor's practice.
Minesapint
Member
- Location
- Oxon
It is a money making con for some practices. If they do not respond to the police request, then it is assumed there is no problem. IF they make any response to the police request, the force will want your medical records. Went through this a few months ago, with an invoice for £60 from my doctors(who I have seen once in 10 years for a referral). Refused to pay, and was contacted by FLO to be told if they didn't receive my medical history then no renewal AND would revoke my current certs. They have got you stitched up. Cunning plan, approved by my FLO, go to the surgery and ask for a copy of your medical records, which you have a right to do, and they are only allowed to charge £10 for your records!! Unfortunately I had run out of time because the surgery said that would take 30 days (as I said, they know what they are doing)
- Location
- Northumberland
And how much does it cost to get a gun license? you could just as easily ask “for what”?
Farfrae
Member
- Location
- Pontargothi, Carmarthenshire
Why is it a con? Is it a con when you have to pay for a report for life insurance? You're free to change doctors or to use a private GP to do your report if you want. Not sure exactly what use your medical records will be to you. They want the opinion of a doctor who has knowledge of your medical history from your notes.
The mind boggles at the thought of farmers who can afford to shoot resenting paying a professional £40/50/60 for their professional opinion once in 5 years saying 'I won't pay'. No wonder Joe Public generally thinks so highly of farmers!
Farfrae
Member
- Location
- Pontargothi, Carmarthenshire
The upshot of course will be that once the police/doctors have had enough of the stropy 'I won't pay brigade' the law will be changed to require everyone to have a medical report upfront before they can apply for a renewal. Then again farmers are particularly adept at 'shooting themselves in the foot' pardon the pun.
Fallowfield
Member
So not only do the Police have to subsidise you, your doctor has to as well?
'Police boss wants to increase firearms and shotgun certificate fees'
https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/shot-gun-certificate/police-boss-wants-levy-licensing-99234
'Police boss wants to increase firearms and shotgun certificate fees'
https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/shot-gun-certificate/police-boss-wants-levy-licensing-99234
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
No bill from the NHS (or anyone else!) for any health report issued to the police in my case. But then they probably wouldn't dare!
Next time, you probably will. Mine was renewed by Police Scotland earlier this year. The renewal includes a letter I take to my GP, and I pay them the fee before they send it back direct to the Police. It seemed a pretty good system, to be fair.
Everything I ask of the country to pay connected to my being given the privilege of having a FAC/ SGC is fair game for recharging to myself, IMHO. £50 or so is pretty reasonable for my doctor to trawl though my notes, dictate a letter to the typing pool/ post back, add a flag on their GP records for future concerns, etc.
My GP is over 300 for a international race license or pilot's license medical - and can't use the same medical for both ! The do at least see you through and do a big check up inc heart ECG stress and resting etc
don't pay for a firearms one though , renewed earlier this year and no one even asked
don't pay for a firearms one though , renewed earlier this year and no one even asked
Farfrae
Member
- Location
- Pontargothi, Carmarthenshire
To my knowledge it's only asked for (here in Wales anyway) if the Police have concerns or one of your replies to medical conditions on the form flags up a query.
Indeed, however the licence is a legal requirement, the medical advice (and invoice thereof) isn`t.
Interesting read here from the BMA: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/ethics-a-to-z/firearms
Minesapint
Member
- Location
- Oxon
It was agreed by the BMA and Police forces that upon request of information, that if there was no response within 21 days then the Police could assume no issues. It is a con, because my doctor doesn't know me from Adam, as I have seen her once in 10 years. My requested records for £10 would have been forwarded to the FLO and that would have been accepted. I personally think doctors are pretty well paid without charging for something they didn't even need to do. It is not about the money, it is the principal.
- Location
- fakenham-norfolk
I renewed earlier this year,no charges were leved.
- Location
- Northumberland
The opinion of my GP may well not be a legal requirement, but both on the form (when I recently renewed) and in a telephone interview I was asked explicitly whether I agreed for firearms licensing to contact my GP, and that my GP may charge for this service.
Would I have got a certificate without agreeing?
Maybe my other written and verbal answers meant they didn’t bother to contact my GPs though.
Pieces_of_Eight
Member
No, your forms would be put to the bottom of the pile.
- Location
- North West England
It was agreed by the British Medical Association there would be no fee for straightforward grants and renewals
Minesapint
Member
- Location
- Oxon
I pay a fair chunk of tax each year, have probably seen a doctor 3 times in the last 30 years, so am hardly a drain on the NHS, so am probably still in credit. You and others seem to have missed the point that unless there were issues re medical history, the doctor didn't HAVE to do anything. but chose to earn themselves some easy money. £60 not bad for a quick email saying no issues (that is what it amounts to, not a full medical report).
As above... bottom of the pile alongside those who "decline to pay".
Its one of those things where different agencies request others to do a task without considering who pays.
The GP receives nothing for it from the CCG, they won`t budget for it from their income (nor should they) as it impacts on genuine patients either in time or financially.
Common sense says it should be written into the FAC law then their is no confusion or "angst".
Its one of those things where different agencies request others to do a task without considering who pays.
The GP receives nothing for it from the CCG, they won`t budget for it from their income (nor should they) as it impacts on genuine patients either in time or financially.
Common sense says it should be written into the FAC law then their is no confusion or "angst".
Pieces_of_Eight
Member
A bit thin on the ground when firearms law is being concocted.
Each police force has its own interpretation of what counts as "safe storage"
West Yorkshire police once told my mate's dad (a while ago) that a steel cabinet wasn't compulsory for a single shotgun...