Medical certificate. How long, and how much £££??

[Newbie to this]

3 minutes ago, old'un said:

As a doctors proforma been required for that long? I thought it only came into force Nov 2021?

Kent were asking insisting for them well before 2021

[old'un]

43 minutes ago, Newbie to this said:

Kent were asking insisting for them well before 2021

 

Blimey, ddn’t know that, was it the same as we have to comply with now? Doctors proforma.

[30-6]

My renewal is mid 2025, so must have been at least 2020.

[Newbie to this]

2 hours ago, old'un said:

 

Blimey, ddn’t know that, was it the same as we have to comply with now? Doctors proforma.

Not 100% sure, but I believe it was similar. I only moved to Kent in 2019 and was told by the FEO when she visited to check the cabinets etc., that they required a doctor's letter for all renewals and grants. I was told they would not renew without a doctor being involved.

By the time my renewal was due, it was all a standardised proforma. I think Kent had a template form similar to the proforma.

[Robden]

APOLOGIES everyone. Above, I quoted 30 days......which is WRONG.....sorry!

Below is part of the email I received from Cheshire Police.

"It is a little too early to make your renewal application just yet.  We will send you out a renewal letter with all the information you need 90 days before you are due to expire.  At that time, you will need to request a report from your GP, however please do not do that yet as your GP report must be dated within 3 months of your renewal date."

My proforma cost me £90, but only took one week. Did the application on-line 1st of February and received the renewal on the 10th.

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Robden

[merseamal]

My surgery quoted £80, medcert was £60 (I think).

my Siri sent me (not medcert) my medical records within 48hrs, I forwarded them to medcert who then took 8 weeks to fill in the form, albeit over Xmas.

there is a masssive postcode lottery with surgeries 

[fse10]

My GP surgery £50 and back with me in three days.

[Weihrauch17]

On 03/03/2023 at 06:25, Robden said:

Cheshire police told me that the proforma must be dated within the last 30 days, or it will null and void.

How ridiculous is that!!

[Robden]

1 hour ago, Weihrauch17 said:

How ridiculous is that!!

See my post above......12 hours ago.

[joejoe]

£20 for me and about a week. This was in 2020 so things could have changed. 

[Tallguy]

Shootcert are the best but the problem is, as always, getting your GP to release your records in good time….

[Lord O War]

It was £50 and 3 days for my surgery as well.

[Torbruk]

Well fellows. I ended up sucking it up and paid the £125 for my 10 minute private consultation. Came out with a filled form and an empty wallet. 😖

I guess I hold the UK record for extortionate Medical Certificate charges, but at least my application is in well before the renewal date and hopefully I will avoid needing a Sect. 7 extension. 
 

Next time around I think I’ll apply super early and use one of the cheaper online services. 🤓

[mossy835]

my mate was charged £96 last week,

[Robden]

6 hours ago, Torbruk said:

Well fellows. I ended up sucking it up and paid the £125 for my 10 minute private consultation. Came out with a filled form and an empty wallet. 😖

I guess I hold the UK record for extortionate Medical Certificate charges, but at least my application is in well before the renewal date and hopefully I will avoid needing a Sect. 7 extension. 
 

Next time around I think I’ll apply super early and use one of the cheaper online services. 🤓

When is your renewal date?

[Torbruk]

End of May my friend. Renewal letter stated application should be submitted no longer than 8 weeks prior to expiry to be considered a ‘timely’ application in the eyes of the law. 

[Lord O War]

Ive put my renewal in and its due in August, just had a letter confirming an extension until October because they said it will never be done in time.

[hwr]

I think they are taking the Mickey, mine was £15 or perhaps £25 ( I don’t remember) and took a couple of weeks.

Northamptonshire police however have yet to issue it some 12 months later, they did issue a “12 month temporary permit” 5 months after certificate expiry.

They literally can’t get the staff.

[Cobbers]

Seems to differ quite a lot with different GP surgeries. 
 

Sent in my proforma on Thursday last week and picked it up completed this morning. Cost £30. 
 

with the 4 day weekend and technically a 1 working day turnaround, I think that’s a record! 

[JohnfromUK]

Received my 'reminder' letter for SGC renewal (due in July 23) on Thurs 20th April which states renewal applications must be submitted at least 8 weeks prior to expiry date to be considered 'timely' and avoid possible need to lodge firearms with an RFD in the event of delays.  Downloaded forms.

Dropped my Medical Proforma sheet at the Doctors on Fri 21st April and paid fee (£50).  Got new up to date photo Mon 24th.

Understood Medical Proforma would be sent to Police direct from surgery, so have already completed and posted my form, photo, referee details and SGC payment - Royal Mail signed for - and had confirmation it had been received at Firearms Licensing Unit (FLU).

Got a text Weds 26th to say medical proforma was ready for collection at Doctors, so collected, and posted (signed for) to FLU - and received confirmation it was received by them Thursday 27th.

Now to see how long renewal takes.  FLU had all paperwork complete on 27th April.

[GHE]

Mine cost £50 from my GP and took one day.

But a friend is having real problems, his GP wants £120 so he instructed Medcert, who have been excellent so far. As part of the process, he gave his signed consent to his GP to release the data to Medcert and then went for a two-month holiday.

His GP refused to comply with his instruction on the basis that he had not completed their own consent form, which he didn't discover until he returned from his holiday. He then took it to his GP surgery, which told him that they will supply the data exactly 30 days later. As a result, his certificate will expire before he can submit his renewal application.

As luck would have it, this isn't a real problem as he has just one shotgun, he only shoots at one venue (where I also shoot) and I have plenty of spare cabinet space, so all that he has to do is to lend me his gun and transfer it to me  until his renewal comes through, leaving him able to shoot under my supervision.

[manthing]

6 hours ago, GHE said:

Mine cost £50 from my GP and took one day.

But a friend is having real problems, his GP wants £120 so he instructed Medcert, who have been excellent so far. As part of the process, he gave his signed consent to his GP to release the data to Medcert and then went for a two-month holiday.

His GP refused to comply with his instruction on the basis that he had not completed their own consent form, which he didn't discover until he returned from his holiday. He then took it to his GP surgery, which told him that they will supply the data exactly 30 days later. As a result, his certificate will expire before he can submit his renewal application.

As luck would have it, this isn't a real problem as he has just one shotgun, he only shoots at one venue (where I also shoot) and I have plenty of spare cabinet space, so all that he has to do is to lend me his gun and transfer it to me  until his renewal comes through, leaving him able to shoot under my supervision.

He needs to report the Dr's to their professional standards body (bma?) as when he took his form in they should, there and then, have advised him that they had a form of their own to fill in and given it to him.

It may not come to anything but if nobody complains they will just think they can get away with stuff like this whenever they want.

[JohnfromUK]

7 hours ago, GHE said:

I have plenty of spare cabinet space, so all that he has to do is to lend me his gun and transfer it to me  until his renewal comes through, leaving him able to shoot under my supervision.

I have done similar when a friend was moving house, and I held his shotgun until his cabinet had been moved, and his SGC changed to his new address (different area).  Remember that you have to advise both certificate issuing authorities (lender's and borrower's) if over 72 hours.  I did write (as did my friend) and my FLO did phone to check up when I did this as it was for some months until my friends new address SCG was completed.

All went smoothly and with no problems, but it does take time and the 72 hour rule is easy to forget.

7 hours ago, GHE said:

Mine cost £50 from my GP and took one day.

That's a decent service, though £50 (which mine also was) seems a lot to me for a few minutes work by a secretary at a PC checking records to tick boxes and the Dr to place 1 signature.  I'll bet when they sit down to do a small batch, they could easily do 10 in an hour, so £500 an hour income.

[rbrowning2]

26 minutes ago, manthing said:

He needs to report the Dr's to their professional standards body (bma?) as when he took his form in they should, there and then, have advised him that they had a form of their own to fill in and given it to him.

It may not come to anything but if nobody complains they will just think they can get away with stuff like this whenever they want.

The BMA is not a Dr’s professional standards body, it’s a voluntary association, like a union that Dr’s can join and they are not compelled to follow any of the BMA advice.

Dr surgeries are private business who contract to the NHS. Not defending what they charge however they have had no additional funding from the NHS for years but have seen their costs increase like all businesses like the increase in minimum wedge which apparently required my local practice to pay staff more, I guess that is cleaners and receptionist. 

So your Dr’s surgery will charge for private work, which the report is whatever they want.

[manthing]

3 hours ago, rbrowning2 said:

The BMA is not a Dr’s professional standards body, it’s a voluntary association, like a union that Dr’s can join and they are not compelled to follow any of the BMA advice.

Dr surgeries are private business who contract to the NHS. Not defending what they charge however they have had no additional funding from the NHS for years but have seen their costs increase like all businesses like the increase in minimum wedge which apparently required my local practice to pay staff more, I guess that is cleaners and receptionist. 

So your Dr’s surgery will charge for private work, which the report is whatever they want.

I wasn't sure, that's why I put the question mark in. So who is their ombudsman/professional standards organisation then? Who would I complain to?

I know they a seperate contractors to the nhs, it was the way this practice handled the situation I was complaining about.