Firearms Licensing

Minesapint

Member
Location
Oxon
My doctors surgery have a 'moral objection' to completing firearms licence applications questions. What about their moral obligation.
I think I will need to find and handsomely pay another doctor to look at my medical records and answer the police questions. PITA.
My Doctors are useless at the best of times.

Just ask for a copy of your medical records which they can’t refuse to do. They can also only charge a max of £20 for this. That should satisfy the FLO.
The whole medical thing has become a farce.
 

Dr. Alkathene

Member
Livestock Farmer
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https://basc.org.uk/providing-a-solution-on-medical-firearm-verification/
 

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
West Mercia FLO seem to be dog on at the moment, filled the coterminous renewal form in online last week, took 30 mins, 10 of which was inputting gun serial numbers and 5 of which was ringing 2 referees for their DOB and address, had a letter from my doctor this morning asking for £15 and my signature to give permission for them to provide information. Havent even had to send my old certificate in which used to be a right PITA considering my license expires mid jan. Have asked for 2nd .243 so can have 1 on a night 1 on a day scope as a variation, will see what happens.....
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I think mine was £40 with Dr’s, they tried to charge dad £80 as it’s both F&S but as it’s both the same time managed to get it down to £50-60 I think. Had it not been for to many on 1 certificate he would’ve cancelled his and put them all on mine. Luckily the FLO was out doing his 3 weeks pre lockdown which was 6 weeks before mine was due so the FLO knew everything about mine too so it was simple over the phone but took a while to get signatures due to Covid and every person holding the paperwork for a few days incase of Covid transmission. Mine came through a day before it ran out 🤦‍♂️
 
It's another way of ducking out of a time consuming job that doesn't bring in much cash, whatever their morals are.
The British Medical Association advised their members at one time not to assist with firearms enquiries and to cite a "moral objection" to private ownership of firearms if challenged. I believe this was part of a larger dispute over GPs' contracts and firearms licensing was one of the things that they spat the dummy out over. The BMA page on the subject is now worded much more in favour of shooters I would say, it outlines that the proper licensing of firearms is in the public interest and that GPs should either assist for a small fee or respond quickly saying they won't help. It goes on to say that where a GP refuses to assist a farmer or gamekeeper who is reliant on their SGC/FAC, they should attempt to put them in touch with a colleague who will help. I would love to see someone challenge it in court. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care what my GP's personal opinion on the matter is, they have no right to deny me my lawful hobby just because they don't like it. Even more importantly, they have no business at all preventing me from exercising my lawful rights to control vermin, indeed we are contractually obligated as tenants to do so.

I was charged £25 and the GP dealt with it very quickly. I just thought myself lucky because my friend was charged £100 and had a long wait into the bargain. I'm patiently waiting on the next time there's some icy weather here in the desperate hope that the doctor puts his car through a hedge of ours and I can have the pleasure of towing it out for a £25 fee.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Doctor I asked said it is a 5 min job, 10 min tops. Have been told of people being charged up to £250 by their GP.
As it happens the GP’s in my surgery didn’t even know who I was and it isn’t a big surgery but I have had no need to go there so hadn’t been there for a few years so all they had to do was look at records.
 

britt

Member
BASE UK Member
The Leicestershire application form is worded that you give permission for the police to obtain the data and you accept that the doctor will give it.
Therefore you don't need to give the medical practice permission to release it.
Aren't all areas using the same form except for the force name on the form ?
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
The Leicestershire application form is worded that you give permission for the police to obtain the data and you accept that the doctor will give it.
Therefore you don't need to give the medical practice permission to release it.
Aren't all areas using the same form except for the force name on the form ?

In all honesty, I think that is what we did the last time round... I don't recall any hassle here, but am aware some Forces pissfart around.
My daughter wants to obtain her firearms licence based here, as opposed to London, but I am not sure which force would be the easisest.
 
It was good enough for my FLO, but some may not accept it.
If you just sent the FLO a copy of your records then it shouldn't have been. The policy I believe is that the GP must submit his opinion as the police state that they are not medical professionals therefore cannot form the opinion from reading your records.
Some forces in England and Wales are not insisting on the GP letter for now so perhaps you are in one of these regions.
 

Minesapint

Member
Location
Oxon
If you just sent the FLO a copy of your records then it shouldn't have been. The policy I believe is that the GP must submit his opinion as the police state that they are not medical professionals therefore cannot form the opinion from reading your records.
Some forces in England and Wales are not insisting on the GP letter for now so perhaps you are in one of these regions.
The agreement between the BMA, police, and shooting organisations, was that the police would contact your doctor to ask if there was any medical reason not to issue certificates. If there was no reason, then the doctor did not need to respond to the request, and after 14 days of no response, the police could assume no issues. My surgery chose to respond, and wanted £60 to send a template letter. I refused to pay this on principal, and was then threatened by FLO of having current certs cancelled and no renewal. I have seen my doctor once in 13 years (for a referral), so my argument was they didn't know me from Adam. The FLO agreed that a copy of my records would suffice.
Some surgeries charge nothing, others are being a little naughty. It was not about the money (£60 is bugger all in shooting), it was the principle.
 

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