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Essex SGC Renewal - GP Forms


Brad93
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Been out of the shooting loop for a little while, and my SGC has come up for renewal. 

Enclosed in the reminder from Essex Police is a letter stating we have to download a form and give it to our GP to fill out from 1st November 2019

I thought this all got thrown out the other year when I renewed the FAC with BASC stating don’t pay the doctors and inform your FEO that it’s not a requirement?

As I remember the BMA were advising their doctors/members not to fill the forms out too. 

 

Whats the the going rate for having these forms signed by your GP?

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1 hour ago, Brad93 said:

Been out of the shooting loop for a little while, and my SGC has come up for renewal. 

Enclosed in the reminder from Essex Police is a letter stating we have to download a form and give it to our GP to fill out from 1st November 2019

I thought this all got thrown out the other year when I renewed the FAC with BASC stating don’t pay the doctors and inform your FEO that it’s not a requirement?

As I remember the BMA were advising their doctors/members not to fill the forms out too. 

 

Whats the the going rate for having these forms signed by your GP?

£30 at my GP.

All the best.

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1 hour ago, Brad93 said:

Been out of the shooting loop for a little while, and my SGC has come up for renewal. 

Enclosed in the reminder from Essex Police is a letter stating we have to download a form and give it to our GP to fill out from 1st November 2019

I thought this all got thrown out the other year when I renewed the FAC with BASC stating don’t pay the doctors and inform your FEO that it’s not a requirement?

As I remember the BMA were advising their doctors/members not to fill the forms out too. 

 

Whats the the going rate for having these forms signed by your GP?

My GP point blank refuses to sign them regardless of how much money you want to throw at them. Stating they object to gun ownership

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2 hours ago, Brad93 said:

Whats the the going rate for having these forms signed by your GP?

The GPs report is mandatory over the water here in Kent. No letter, no licence. I had to change GPs practice because the old one would answer any Police requests or provide required medical report.

No problem with new one, he charged £25.

BASC telling people not to pay or challenging FEO that a letter is not required is outdated and trouble making. I challenged Kent Police over exactly this and the response was that the Home Office guidelines are guidance only and if the Chief Constable wants to exceed them he can.

Edited by JJsDad
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3 hours ago, JTaylor91 said:

My GP point blank refuses to sign them regardless of how much money you want to throw at them. Stating they object to gun ownership

I had to change doctors to get mine sorted, the new surgery sent the letter without even seeing me, just put a cheque in the post.

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2 hours ago, Brad93 said:

Who do we complain to BASC? Our MP? The chief of police? 

None of these have any jurisdiction over your GP.   I had two seperate discussions with BASC over this, but other than vague promises that  they are on the case I got no where, and ended up having to change GPs. British Medical Association are the Doctors union, so you could take it up with them. This work is not funded under NHS rules so it is left to individual GPs to charge as they see fit for their time in order to trawl your records and draft the letter.

I believe BASC are lobbying the Home Office and BMA to try to get an agreed fee for GPs when they carry out this work, but I have seen nothing to suggest there is any form of agreement as yet.

Edited by JJsDad
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Last week I was shooting with a doctor and queried him on this matter. His opinion was that it is unprofessional for a doctor to refuse to sign a letter because they are not supposed to have opinions on any issues, be it firearms ownership, race , homosexuality, whatever. That makes sense to me, so what is the BMA doing about it?

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I live in Essex and my licence is up for renewal next Autumn. My GP has indicated he is opposed to completing the form and no other local surgeries are taking on new NHS patients.               Without paying for something like Medcert I will be forced to give up shooting unless the situation changes. The shooting organisations need to get active if they want to retain members as I can't see people renewing membership once they're no longer shooting. 

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I spoke to basc with regard to the medicert thing and their reply was we have no knowledge of it. As they have been largely inactive in any practical way over the problems of the past few years I would have thought they could at least have looked into it and advise members accordingly. But then again I guess they are to busy sorting their office parties to worry about us shooters the members. 

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Up to date advice to members is on the BASC website, and can be found in the link above and as it says we are lobbying for all involved in the licencing process to have a statutory duty and this includes GP's. But with everything else that's been going on in Parliament its not possible to give any further updates, but as soon as we know more we will of course make it public

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David,

Maybe it's a little late in the day for lobbying considering FELWG's position on the matter. It would seem that the whole debacle is cut and dried with FELWG now advising Chief Constables to adopt a "no report, no certificate" policy nationwide.

I'm sorry to say that BASC and others i must add, missed the boat by not taking the judicial review route. I for one would happily have chipped in to a fighting fund to finance such an action if BASC funds wouldn't have stretched that far. A very poor do.

Taken from the latest FELWG minutes...............

Main Agenda

Medical screening

A discussion took place in relation to the current position on pre-medical screening information. The issues that arose were.

1) More forces have adopted this process in line with Police Scotland

2) The BMA have amended their guidance as of 28 February 2019 to support both the process AND the placing of a marker on patient records where this can be done.

3) Home Office guidance consultation is due to commence in July but has been significantly delayed.

4) Analysis of forces undertaking the process currently is very positive.

5) The Royal College of General Practitioners are supportive of the process.

6) BASC and other shooting groups have been consulted and remain concerned in relation to doctors objecting to the process and costs.

7) DO is briefing the policing minister shortly

Having discussed the issue widely, and the recent changes with the BMA guidance that the time was appropriate for FELWG to formally recommend pre-medical screening to forces as best practice, in anticipation of Home Office statutory guidance consultation commencing shortly.

ACTION; DO would write to forces informing them of FELWG’s position.

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