BASC (renewing FAC)

[McSpredder]

On 08/01/2025 at 20:33, Conor O'Gorman said:

Home Office guidance requires medical record checks back to birth for first grants.

2 hours ago, wyn said:

Welsh police forces want full medical records from birth for a grant and a renewal.

Could somebody please quote the exact wording of the Home Office official guidance?

Nobody over the age of 77 has a full NHS record, because that organisation was not established until 5 July 1948.   

There might not be very many folk applying for their first SGC/FAC aged over 77, but there will certainly be lots of us seeking renewals.

There was a minor hiccup during my last SGC renewal because MedCert correctly ticked the box saying that they did not have my full records (from birth).   The police initially queried this, but were reassured when MedCert confirmed that the assessment was based on complete records from 1975 onwards.     Apparently the same situation had arisen several other applicants.   I wonder what will happen next time round.

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

15 hours ago, McSpredder said:

Could somebody please quote the exact wording of the Home Office official guidance?

Nobody over the age of 77 has a full NHS record, because that organisation was not established until 5 July 1948.   

There might not be very many folk applying for their first SGC/FAC aged over 77, but there will certainly be lots of us seeking renewals.

There was a minor hiccup during my last SGC renewal because MedCert correctly ticked the box saying that they did not have my full records (from birth).   The police initially queried this, but were reassured when MedCert confirmed that the assessment was based on complete records from 1975 onwards.     Apparently the same situation had arisen several other applicants.   I wonder what will happen next time round.

 

I have had a quick look and can't find that reference I made to records from birth for first grants in the non-statutory and statutory guidance docs - I will check with the firearms team next week.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firearms-law-guidance-to-the-police-2012

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63e284a78fa8f50e89351509/Revised_Firearms_Licensing_Statutory_Guidance_Feb_2023.pdf

 

[rbrowning2]

On 08/01/2025 at 16:35, Conor O'Gorman said:

Hopefully this helps in terms of current situation.

BASC now recommends ShootCert as its preferred provider for medical verifications. This decision was made following concerns expressed by police over some third-party providers. ShootCert was identified by BASC as having robust quality measures in place that minimised the chance of errors or other problems in the verification process. Feedback on ShootCert has been positive as per comments here and elsewhere on the forum. BASC does not get commission from ShootCert and BASC members can get a discount if they contact BASC or ShootCert in advance. 

https://www.shootcert.co.uk/basc-and-shootcert-agree-collaboration-to-provide-firearm-medical-certificates/

The use of third party providers of the medical verification service is a temporary solution until our broken firearms licensing system is fixed.

The Home Office Guidance states that the medical verification can either be enclosed with a grant or renewal application, or can be sent directly at a later date. Several forces, however, will not accept applications without the medical verification, so it makes sense to enclose it with the application. This is why BASC recommends speaking to one’s GP 20 to 24-weeks in advance of expiry. This ensures the process is complete with plenty of time to apply more than 8-weeks in advance of expiry, and therefore qualify for the automatic 8-week extension provided under Section 28B.

 

How long is temporary? been going on a very long time now.

Then when the likes of ShootCert are used quite likely a high chance that the applicants GP will not put the marker on their GP medical records that they own firearms.   

BASC should only be recommending ShootCert when the applicants GP will not do the report, not because of a higher fee.

[Conor O'Gorman]

1 hour ago, rbrowning2 said:

How long is temporary? been going on a very long time now.

Then when the likes of ShootCert are used quite likely a high chance that the applicants GP will not put the marker on their GP medical records that they own firearms.   

BASC should only be recommending ShootCert when the applicants GP will not do the report, not because of a higher fee.

Yes, it has been going on a long time, since 2016, and I think the impasse will continue to be the case until medical involvement in firearms licensing is worked into GP contracts. 

[moondoggy]

On 09/01/2025 at 21:35, moondoggy said:

Good luck. I have literally, ie. Yesterday, just received my report from ShootCert. It took my doctors nearly two months to get mine done. They blamed the fact that ShootCert ask for full medical records and my doctor no longer holds the old paper records, so they had to request the physical records from their storage facility. They then took an age, and several phone calls from me and letters from ShootCert, eventually prompted them to extract their finger from wherever it was firmly placed. It didn’t help with Christmas getting in the way.

The problem now is that Lincs Firearms requires around eight weeks prior to the certificate expiration to do the renewal. I have submitted mine yesterday with five weeks to my certificate expiring.

So, I may have been put in a position by my doctors whereby I may have to put my guns into temporary storage. I am not a happy bunny.

ShootCert were very good though, but we were at the mercy of my doctors.

Just a quick update on my Shotgun Certificate renewal.

As mentioned, I submitted my application via the Lincolnshire Police Portal on the 9th January 2025. I had my interview via the telephone on the 14th January. Today, I received my certificate through the mail. That’s eleven days.

Superb service from Lincolnshire Police 👍👏👍.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Great, so why can't they all do it properly?

[Dave-G]

I suspect SGC renewals will be more quickly processed as there are no references, permissions, ammo or other checks to be dealt with.

[steve_b_wales]

3 hours ago, Dave-G said:

I suspect SGC renewals will be more quickly processed as there are no references, permissions, ammo or other checks to be dealt with.

For the first time that I can remember, on my renewal form for FAC, there wasn't a question asking how much ammunition I have in my possession.

[London Best]

12 hours ago, steve_b_wales said:

For the first time that I can remember, on my renewal form for FAC, there wasn't a question asking how much ammunition I have in my possession.

Same here. And after I had spent half an hour sorting and counting too.