Shotgun certificate renewal

[Jaymo]

8 hours ago, Minky said:

It may be pence per  month but it's just been  dreamt up by plod as a other obstacle to slow or stop people having guns.  None of this makes a jots worth of difference to  criminals or nutters going off the rails as any of the gun killers that there have been. All its doing is making guns worth not a lot and closing  businesses.

We will have to agree to disagree.

By having the connection between GP and Licensing with a ‘marker’ place on your records. Then one would hope that incidents such as Plymouth and for us in our industry, the German Wings incident, Will be picked up earlier and thus prevent such incidents.

Is it so wrong that anyone suffering from stress/anxiety or other such maladies, be subject to further scrutiny? 
I know it is let down by the fact that the individual may not seek medical intervention, but many do. 

[Poor Shot]

1 hour ago, Jaymo said:

We will have to agree to disagree.

By having the connection between GP and Licensing with a ‘marker’ place on your records. Then one would hope that incidents such as Plymouth and for us in our industry, the German Wings incident, Will be picked up earlier and thus prevent such incidents.

Is it so wrong that anyone suffering from stress/anxiety or other such maladies, be subject to further scrutiny? 
I know it is let down by the fact that the individual may not seek medical intervention, but many do. 

While I do agree with what you have wrote, there are two things that spring to mind when this topic comes up.

Firstly, how far will this way of thinking go? If people who shoot need to have a marker on their medical record to flag them to the authorities should any mental health issues arise, then should pilots, lorry drivers, train drivers (professional drivers may already have to do this), people who operate rides at theme parks, stadium security staff, those who wish to hire a van and so on need to have this facility placed on their records? Each of them has the potential to cause or allow mass devastation on the public should their mental health take a turn for the worst and they decide that if life no longer has any meaningful purpose for them then they are going to take a whole load of people with them.

Secondly, I do fear that this method of operating together with the over zealous and mass confiscation of firearms by forces following the Plymouth shooting will stop shooters with even a minor mental health issue seeking help for fear of losing their hobby (way of life for a lot).

Should, for example, you have a well mannered and perfectly stable family man feeling a little down, maybe struggling to sleep following a bereavement or something else minor. He requests some sleeping tablets and perhaps some therapy to help him get back to a normal sleeping pattern and then is awaken in middle of the night by the police banging his door down requesting he 'voluntarily' surrender his firearms and certificates.

Personally I think that this procedure serves no further purpose other than for the authorities to show the public they have done something to make firearms licensing safer. It doesn't really work for either party and is just another layer of paperwork or another hoop to jump through to allow people to enjoy what is a relatively safe and very enjoyable sport. I'd say many more people are injured or killed playing rugby union/league (a few deaths and life changing injuries in local leagues in the last few years) or motorcycle riding but those don't have the same public perception so are relatively free from government regulation.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Poor Shot

[Bobba]

43 minutes ago, Jaymo said:

We will have to agree to disagree.

By having the connection between GP and Licensing with a ‘marker’ place on your records. Then one would hope that incidents such as Plymouth and for us in our industry, the German Wings incident, Will be picked up earlier and thus prevent such incidents.

Is it so wrong that anyone suffering from stress/anxiety or other such maladies, be subject to further scrutiny? 
I know it is let down by the fact that the individual may not seek medical intervention, but many do. 

Agreed. 
When there is a call to ban, for example, pump action shotguns how often do we see the response “ it’s not the gun, it’s the person behind the gun that is the problem”. What this requirement (GP Medical form) is attempting to do is identify those who should not be behind the gun. To that extent the detractors / objectors should accept it for what it is trying to do - weed out those with medical conditions which preclude them from owning a gun and which they would possibly not disclose by the previous arrangement of self declaration. 

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Jaymo said:

We will have to agree to disagree.

By having the connection between GP and Licensing with a ‘marker’ place on your records. Then one would hope that incidents such as Plymouth and for us in our industry, the German Wings incident, Will be picked up earlier and thus prevent such incidents.

Is it so wrong that anyone suffering from stress/anxiety or other such maladies, be subject to further scrutiny? 
I know it is let down by the fact that the individual may not seek medical intervention, but many do. 

If stress or anxiety is the root cause of shootings, then we have a serious serious problem. Stress and anxiety are rife throughout the population on a daily basis, within schools, universities, the police force, the NHS, businesses etc etc, and all caused by the modern day lifestyles we lead. 

The most chilled out people in my opinion are those involved in field sports, but we’re all paying for the consequences of mistakes made by decisions of licensing authorities. 
I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but at least twice now, licensing authorities have failed to act when there was irrefutable proof that an a individual wasn’t fit to possess firearms. Now they’re running around like headless chickens, seizing firearms based on hearsay, rather than that irrefutable evidence they failed to act on. If this is to become the norm, then none of us can rest easy. 



 

[miki]

20 hours ago, scorchyboy said:

Hi all hope you are all keeping well,I have just received my renewal notice for my shotgun certificate from humberside police,and in the envelope was a section for the doctor to complete,a medical,I went to my doctors today to see them about getting it filled in,she tells me there is a £41.00 upfront payment for the form to be completed,is this the norm or are  my doctors trying to do me over(lol) ,I have never had this before,is this a new ruling,cheers regards 

This started in Scotland 6 years ago, it has no real legal backing, and has been 'adopted' by Police forces now across the coutry.
Originaly driven and pushed forward by a fine, hard working, Head of Firearms Licencing this is the legacy of Chief Inspector Frazer Freedom Lamb (ret), now on the management committee for the Scottish Shooting Assosiation (SACS) - Freedom isn't his middle name BTW, thats just what I call him 
£41 is not expensive I have heard of over £200

It's a long and torrid issue that has increased the cost of shooting.
This is now covered in the "guidelines" but I don't think is yet in the Firearms Act..

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1029859/Statutory_Guidance_for_Firearms_Licensing_-_Final__Nov_2021_.pdf

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/gp-service-provision/the-firearms-licensing-process

[Eaf70]

My surgery charged me £ 40.00 up front but I'm still waiting for it to be returned 3 weeks later !!

[Jonty]

At around the time of my last renewal, I was seeing my doc about an ailment and I mentioned she might be getting a request for a medical report from the Police.  She was genuinely interested in my shooting and we chatted as she read through my medical notes (all of 2-3 minutes) and said there was nothing to worry about and she would happily sign anything.  A week later on my return visit she was very apologetic and told me she'd been advised by the practice manager that it would cost £60 for her to read the notes and complete the form - not a bad hourly rate!

[miki]

Here is the official BMA guideline ref fee:

As you are not contracted to provide these services under the GMS contract, you are entitled to charge the applicant your reasonable fee.

I would suggest @Jonty that you contact the practice manager and ask him how he calculated the £60 fee and that you think it is "unreasonable" .

[Minky]

BuT.... the shooting orgs are doing their best for us. 

[miki]

3 hours ago, Minky said:

BuT.... the shooting orgs are doing their best for us. 

 

[mossy835]

i took my doctors forms in today, see how long they take,

[mossy835]

had a call today to come and pick them up,good service from the doctor,£25 very good.

[derbyduck]

On 04/04/2022 at 15:57, mossy835 said:

had a call today to come and pick them up,good service from the doctor,£25 very good.

Well done , I started preceding's for my S.C. on the 3rd of December 2021 and was handed it yesterday after a visit from the F.A.O. , my cert ran out on 31.5.2022, I was messed about by my Dr surgery manager who wanted £85 after I had been told previously by two Gps that it would cost £30, so I went with Medcert who charged £60 and the Firearms department charged £49 , its gone up a bit since my first one back in 1968 ! LOL