dnic Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 I applied for my Shotgun licence grant two weeks ago. I went into to my local firearms licensing unit and hand delivered the application. They where happy to look at my form to make sure it was completed correctly and all the attachments where in order. Today I received by post a letter from my registered doctors surgery! Dear xxx Further to your recent application for a firearms licence we have been asked by the firearms unit to provide medical information to support your application. I regret to inform you that due to the information required and under section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983 we are not qualified to respond. If you should have have any further questions please contact your firearms licensing unit. Yours Sincerely xxxxxx Administration I have left a message with the with the firearms licensing unit, regarding the above. Appreciate if anybody has come across this before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenlivet Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Never come across this myself but it's worth checking what section 12 of the mental health act covers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Here's the section: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/section/12 As I understand it, if they do ot respond within 21 days, the police assume that there are no concerns and issue the grant anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Here's the section: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/section/12 As I understand it, if they do ot respond within 21 days, the police assume that there are no concerns and issue the grant anyway. Me too! just sit tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Just forget about it,,Thdy do not issue licence.. Just wait for the post.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Do you in fact have a mental health disorder that your GP isn't qualified to comment on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesj Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 As said if your doctor doesn't respond then the police will send out your ticket, But i would look at changing doctors if the don't think the are not qualified to respond on a medical matter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnic Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Do you in fact have a mental health disorder that your GP isn't qualified to comment on? Scully, Good point, fortunately, I do not or ever had a mental health disorder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 As said if your doctor doesn't respond then the police will send out your ticket, But i would look at changing doctors if the don't think the are not qualified to respond on a medical matter Once he has his grant I'd leave them too. They don't deserve his nhs funding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnic Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Update. Firearms unit has just called me. They said, show the licensing officer, the letter when he/she visits you. Apparently this is becoming the standard response by GP's under advisement from the BMA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Update. Firearms unit has just called me. They said, show the licensing officer, the letter when he/she visits you. Apparently this is becoming the standard response by GP's under advisement from the BMA. Doctors forget that they work for the tax payer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Scully, Good point, fortunately, I do not or ever had a mental health disorder. Fair enough. It was just a thought. Given the most recent response from your licensing authority I'd simply forget about your GP's response, as, as others have said, after 21 days licensing will just assume there are no issues and issue your tickets. It would increasingly appear that GP's have been advised by the BMA not to co-operate with the procedure as agreed regarding their role in the licensing of firearms. Back to square one it would seem! I await my GP's letter with interest as I am currently awaiting a coterminous renewal. I would normally have declared an issue but as the new forms state 'Do you suffer from such and such' instead of 'Do you currently, or have you ever suffered......' or something along those lines, I didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 This whole doctor thing is going tits up now they've decided they don't want to play without being paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrowning2 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 This whole doctor thing is going tits up now they've decided they don't want to play without being paid. +1 I could never see it working in the informal way it is currently operating. Money was always going to be a big issue, I can recall that many years ago when the application required a signature of an upstanding member of the community that knew you for several years eg doctor, solicitor, etc I went to my doctors and for two signatures in two minutes his fee was more than the application fee for the certificate. Never did that again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 This whole doctor thing is going tits up now they've decided they don't want to play without being paid. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 the whole licenceing is one big tit up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnic Posted October 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 I believe the reference to the Mental Health ACT 1983 by the GP is in response to the question on the application grant form F201 notes 4-5 medical information. They are General Practitioners, mental health issues probably are not there area of specialism, so its easy for them to not comment, and pass the buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 I believe the reference to the Mental Health ACT 1983 by the GP is in response to the question on the application grant form F201 notes 4-5 medical information. They are General Practitioners, mental health issues probably are not there area of specialism, so its easy for them to not comment, and pass the buck. I think as others have said, it's more a question of money as it was made abundantly clear from the outset of negotiations that GP's would never, and could never, be held accountable for the actions of an applicant. They can only comment or form an opinion on their patient from what is contained within the applicants medical history, and even with the relevant qualifications could only be expected to comment on that patients mental state in the past or the present time, but never in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clakk Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Sound,s like their response to BASC saying don,t pay the letter fee they,ve started to demand for renewals .As you say if they put ,they,re not qualified to comment then there,s no comeback on them if some one goes doolally after receiving Sgc Or Fac.Its a measured response to them agreeing no fees as a body then individual pratice,s saying wait a minute there,s money to be made here.Still don,t get how the B.M.A agree a policy but their member,s say and do the opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 Going back to the original post what would the GP do if there was a possible mental health issue - still say they were not qualified to comment?? Scary eh? I assume here this was the routine renewal enquiry and request from FLO to have a flag placed on medical record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrowning2 Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 As I understand it not all doctors are members of the B.M.A. The process is in one big mess with grants and renewals in some parts of the country taking months or even a year plus, if it was a business it would have gone bust by now. Again I can remember the good old days when a variation took a week or two and why should they not? Especially a one for one variation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 It's a money making exercise by the gp. It won't be long until we have to have a medical report when we apply/renew and the gp's will only be too happy to make a qualified statement then, especially with the £250 consultation fee attached. The current arrangement doesn't ask the gp for a medical assessment but rather a few tick boxes and a marker however they deem this an assessment and want the cash. I've heard se gp surgery's have posters saying they will not complete the paperwork for a licence for whatever reason. Whats basc's stance on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 This whole doctor thing is going tits up now they've decided they don't want to play without being paid. I disagree, dr's don't want the onus of deciding if someone is suitable to possess firearms with someone they've met in a handful of times for ten minutes at a time. Would you? My wife, although not a GP but a doctor, is totally against this. This is for the police to do, with credible referrers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 (edited) It's a money making exercise by the gp. It won't be long until we have to have a medical report when we apply/renew and the gp's will only be too happy to make a qualified statement then, especially with the £250 consultation fee attached. The current arrangement doesn't ask the gp for a medical assessment but rather a few tick boxes and a marker however they deem this an assessment and want the cash. I've heard se gp surgery's have posters saying they will not complete the paperwork for a licence for whatever reason. Whats basc's stance on this? That's it, blame the doctors rather than the police now they've shifted responsibility. Of course most Doctors spend their time concocting ways of raping money out of non medical issues rather than treating patients....... Edited October 3, 2016 by kyska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted October 3, 2016 Report Share Posted October 3, 2016 I disagree, dr's don't want the onus of deciding if someone is suitable to possess firearms with someone they've met in a handful of times for ten minutes at a time. Would you? My wife, although not a GP but a doctor, is totally against this. This is for the police to do, with credible referrers. Doctors want paying, that is the only issue. Everything else is about making their excuses to not comply without sounding greedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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