MEDICAL REPORT FEE ON FAC RENEWAL

[Jason_ox]

Apparently a lot of surgeries in my area Thames Valley  are responding to the polices request for the medical questionnaire to be completed with “as soon as MR **** **** pays the associated fee we will submit the report” the police take the stance that there’s something wrong, and will not take your application any further until you have paid the fee and the police have received the report. If the surgery does not respond to the request from the police within 21 days then the application can proceed as normal.

[esgranolle]

Í have just been charged £150.00 by my GP for filling in  the medical section of the renewal for and that is at half price. I have no medical history of problems etc 

 

Any comment  or is this the normal 2020 price!

[Scully]

They can charge what they like because we as shooters are powerless to do anything about it. 
You could contact your shooting organisation, but they are powerless to do anything about it also. Fees still worth it? 🙂

[mossy835]

if we want a gun licence, we must pay what they ask mine was £20 3 years ago.

[Mr.C]

You're lucky mine refuses to sign. Shall be going through BASC if nothing has changed by renewal.

[mossy835]

or go with medcert.co.uk  £50

[Spoon]

22 hours ago, esgranolle said:

Í have just been charged £150.00 by my GP for filling in  the medical section of the renewal for and that is at half price. I have no medical history of problems etc 

 

Any comment  or is this the normal 2020 price!

My GP in St Albans just took £35 from me this morning to complete the form. We are at their mercy, though.

[Bobba]

I renewed my SGC last year and the requirement for a med cert was not raised by A&S Constabulary and I was not contacted by my GP. Some weeks back I required an Outpatient Referral letter from my GP and item 3 on the list of medical matters was "Shotgun application cert". No fee was asked for at that time. I must be among the lucky ones.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Bobba

[mossy835]

all A/S want is the name of your doctor if the police dont hear back in 3 weeks, you get your licence,no visit and no phone call.

[James s Robb]

My medical practice in St Andrews Scotland Pipeland Medical is asking for £200 pounds to sign of my shotgun renewal for my application to Police Scotland, how is that for extortion, other practices in North East Fife are asking for £30, advice on how to expose this blatant misuse of their position.

 

 

 

[Zapp]

16 hours ago, James s Robb said:

My medical practice in St Andrews Scotland Pipeland Medical is asking for £200 pounds to sign of my shotgun renewal for my application to Police Scotland, how is that for extortion, other practices in North East Fife are asking for £30, advice on how to expose this blatant misuse of their position.

 

 

 

You should consider blanking your personal details out.

[Scully]

16 hours ago, James s Robb said:

My medical practice in St Andrews Scotland Pipeland Medical is asking for £200 pounds to sign of my shotgun renewal for my application to Police Scotland, how is that for extortion, other practices in North East Fife are asking for £30, advice on how to expose this blatant misuse of their position.

 

 

 

Usual advice is to get in touch with your shooting org’ , but telling your skirting boards would be about as effective. 
Getting in touch with your MP may be worth a try, or contact your local press. 

[hawkfanz]

i just got mine from my gp,f o c.

[button]

On 24/01/2021 at 21:27, James s Robb said:

My medical practice in St Andrews Scotland Pipeland Medical is asking for £200 pounds to sign of my shotgun renewal for my application to Police Scotland, how is that for extortion, other practices in North East Fife are asking for £30, advice on how to expose this blatant misuse of their position.

 

 

 

My practice, also in Fife charged nothing and turned it around in 3 days

[Jonty]

Last time my ticket was up for renewal, I had to,see my GP about a minor medical gripe.  Whilst talking to her I mentioned that I was renewing and she may get some paperwork.  We then had a very nice 5 min chat where she asked lots of genuinely interested questions about shooting as she scrolled through my notes.  Sh advised me that they was absolutely nothing that concerned her and she’d be happy to sign whatever came through.  Two weeks later I got a letter from the practice telling me I had to pay £50 before they would review my notes and provide a letter.  Fortunately North Yorks processed the application irrespective.  They now advise on their application guidance notes that a medical certificate is only required for a grant application and not necessary for renewals.  I really can’t fault NYP, they are stretched and things take a while to process, but they do have a sound practical approach to the the system.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Jonty

[sportsbob]

On 24/01/2021 at 21:27, James s Robb said:

My medical practice in St Andrews Scotland Pipeland Medical is asking for £200 pounds to sign of my shotgun renewal for my application to Police Scotland, how is that for extortion, other practices in North East Fife are asking for £30, advice on how to expose this blatant misuse of their position.

 

 

 

The letter says they will monitor you over the five year period and if they don`t like something they will inform the police.  Could it be that the £200 is for this monitoring and informing service,  If I were you I would find somewhere else to sign you clear.

[sharpeshooter60]

On 01/02/2019 at 23:10, Newbie to this said:

Yes, but some forces are insisting on a doctors report at the expense of the applicant, if they have any conditions or not, for both grant and renewal. So no doctors report no certs.

And yes it isn't in the guidelines, but it is happening.

nottingham is one ov them,just cost me 60quid

[Lix]

I'm in Merseyside, my surgery wanted £125, when I questioned they came down to £90. I still thought that was high and offered them £50 to reflect the online prices. They refused and it had gone back up to £125. I spoke to the firearms dept who thought that was extortionate. I followed the advice on firearmsmedicalreports.co.uk and submitted a SAR. You have to do this in good time as they have up to 40 days to comply. I was given an envelope with a full copy of my medical history nearly an inch thick. With thankfully no cost. I just thought how ridiculious, the time it must have taken someone to do that compared to the GP completing the 'template' letter Merseyside police have supplied. I'm now posting it off to have a report done for £50 which is bad enough when you hear of charges between £0 and £20. Lets hope some kind of consistency prevails or it goes to 10 years. 

[jan8p]

I recently got a report from my GP for my SGC grant and it was £30.......they even sent it all over before I paid them, on the same day.

£200 is extortion.  If it's the same as England, then I believe the only "monitoring" they do is satisfy their obligation of sending a report to the police upon you going to the GP with a notifiable condition (i.e. mental health, depression, etc).  

Edited January 26, 2021 by jan8p

[hafod]

On 01/02/2019 at 17:19, peek-at said:

The medical request goes to your GP surgery and they may do it free, or as in other cases the GP may ask you to pay...

I.m under gwent police and When i renewed my firearms and shotgun certificates in Oct last they refused to proceed with issuing my new certificates ( I did ask this question on here at the time ) 

until they received the doctors medical forms told me they were mandatory

had a hell of a job to get my GP to sign them at the time he was very reluctant to do them 

 

Just now, hafod said:

I.m under gwent police and When i renewed my firearms and shotgun certificates in Oct last they refused to proceed with issuing my new certificates ( I did ask this question on here at the time ) 

until they received the doctors medical forms told me they were mandatory

had a hell of a job to get my GP to sign them at the time he was very reluctant to do them 

 

Forgot to add he did not charge me  for signing them though but I bet that's changed now 

[wisdom]

On 02/02/2019 at 10:15, panoma1 said:

As I understand it there was a review of firearm licensing involving all stakeholders which reached agreement (it subsequently became Home Office Guidance) which says that the police should, after 21 days, if no reply from GP, assume all was ok and process the application..........there was never any agreement for GP's to charge for this initial enquiry.......some GP's reneged on the agreement and started charging applicants......some police forces decided to impose their own rules outside the agreed Home office guidance saying....no doctors report ( which GP's want paying for) no certificate...........and here we are! Chaos!......the Home Office apparantly, have now backtracked on the agreement, and their own guidance, by not pulling the police back into line!

If you are a member BASC (or other shooting organisation you belong to?) should be able to advise, but if you are asked by your GP to pay ...Don't!.............But if told by the police "no GP's report, no certificate" you may have to think again?

It's about time this mess was properly sorted once and for all!

Our force insist on the report and my GP completed the tick box proforma that I took with me and charged me fifty quid.

[kennett]

I had a very nice phone call from my surgery asking for £30 to tell the Police they know of no reason why I shouldn't get my renewal, you know what I did? I paid it quite happily because £30 for 5 years of fun, food and enjoyment seems a bargain, and I'm quite happy for them to sift through and weed anyone who shouldn't have a ticket.

[Scully]

4 hours ago, kennett said:

I had a very nice phone call from my surgery asking for £30 to tell the Police they know of no reason why I shouldn't get my renewal, you know what I did? I paid it quite happily because £30 for 5 years of fun, food and enjoyment seems a bargain, and I'm quite happy for them to sift through and weed anyone who shouldn't have a ticket.

They aren’t qualified to determine who should have a ticket, nor is it their responsibility, and further, it shouldn’t be. 

[kennett]

 

2 hours ago, Scully said:

They aren’t qualified to determine who should have a ticket, nor is it their responsibility, and further, it shouldn’t be. 

Sorry I didn't make it clear, I was referring to the Police using the information they receive to make the decision. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by kennett

[jan8p]

21 hours ago, kennett said:

I had a very nice phone call from my surgery asking for £30 to tell the Police they know of no reason why I shouldn't get my renewal, you know what I did? I paid it quite happily because £30 for 5 years of fun, food and enjoyment seems a bargain, and I'm quite happy for them to sift through and weed anyone who shouldn't have a ticket.

Indeed.  I'm all for GP checks, because who doesn't want to ensure that to a reasonable extent a license holder is fit to have firearms?

I'm also all for paying a fee, after all, this is a service. Reasonable fees for what it is they are doing though, not £200 to tick some boxes on a sheet of A4.