Aircrew medicals

[MechGov]

Good news for all we aircrew who have to put up with civilians cluttering up our state of the art medical facilities. My wife just got a call from the AT super hub medical centre informing her that, as we live in private accommodation more than 5 miles away, she must find a NHS practice as they will no longer see her.
Progress indeed.
Maybe her new practice can take me on as we'll? Then maybe I could get an appointment on a Wednesday afternoon.

[Cornerstone958]

Only if you book 2 weeks in advance and do not attempt to be seriously ill at any time!

[ShyTorque]

Is this really news? I was told the same thing in the early 1990s. My family had to register in the local village and yet we lived in OMQs on the station.

One of the reasons I decided enough was enough and took my option to leave.

[noprobs]

After about 40 years of RAF flying, I came to the end of an FTRS contract a little over a year ago, but continued flying as a VR(T) AEF pilot. I therefore joined an NHS medical practice. 3 months later, I needed to renew my aircrew medical, and a preliminary requirement was a declaration from the NHS practice to show what treatment I had received since my previous PME. The RAF paid the £45 for this, but having received it, my station RMC called me to say that the declaration was no use to them, as the doctor had said that he had not met or treated me. The RMC needed to know more about my medical history prior to my signing on with the new doctor. I had to point out that this same RMC had dealt with all my medical needs for more than a decade, up to the point 3 months earlier when I moved to NHS provision.

I get the impression that our medical services are not getting much better as time passes by.

[BlindWingy]

Could someone tell me why an aircrew pme doesn't count towards any civilian pilot medical?

If you're fit to fly jets/helis/heavies, surely that should mean everyone should be issued with a Class I medical?

[Uncle Ginsters]

BlindWingy
Could someone tell me why an aircrew pme doesn't count towards any civilian pilot medical?

Simples - because that wont line the CAA's coffers!

The whole thing smacks of mis-management...the Med Centre referred to was never properly established for the tasked of handling two bases worth of Aircrew PMEs. Guess what, everything else has to fail.

So sad that the families lose out, but so are Servicepeople who need bespoke medicals - sport parachuting, boxing and diving are all suffering as they can't get their medicals done there so the sports grind to a halt too.:(

On top of that, I'm led to believe that the RAF Medical branch is expecting around 12% cuts in the near future...another wheel comes off the cart...:oh:

[orgASMic]

OTOH, military medical services exist to support military people. Presumably, they provide care to dependants where irreducible spare capacity exists. Guess what? They don't have the capacity to fulfil their primary role, let alone that which we would like to enjoy. A few years ago, I was bumped 3 times from my pre-deployment medical at Wiltshire's premier air station as they were too busy seeing to little Johnny's chicken pox*.

At my last unit, my kids were on the books of the military medical centre. At my present unit, they are registered with a local GP, who would only take them on when we explained that my wife and I are both military, so would not be registering as well.

Another reason to leave? Some will see it that way. Others will see it for what it is: an inconvenient reality caused by reducing resources.

By the way, have you tried seeing a dentist recently? Now their scarce resources really make it seem like you are the inconvenience.

* My assumption, based on the fact that, every time I turned up for my appointment only to be turned away again, the waiting room was full of dependants.

[sp6]

"Could someone tell me why an aircrew pme doesn't count towards any civilian pilot medical?

If you're fit to fly jets/helis/heavies, surely that should mean everyone should be issued with a Class I medical?"

AME at Cranwell reckoned this is because different things are tested to a different standard. He said that there was one test which was more stringent for a Class 1 than for a RAF Aircrew med. Daft to have two standards. This month I need to get:

Class 1 (so I can instruct civvy & fly AEF)
Let the SMO see my Class 1 so he can sign my logbook (so I can fly AEF)
Get a level 4 Fmed566 (so I can go on an artic survival jolly with the Norwegians)
Get a pre-dep med 'cos I'm actually going to do some work for a change

all will be different forms, examinations, expense, time, blah, blah.

(oh yes, I forgot - can't fly a Tutor for a bit, but I live in hope!)

[BlindWingy]

This needs sorting! Is it right that military pilots are flying without EASA recognized medicals?

[Marly Lite]

Yes. If you fly on the military, you need a military medical. Not an EASA one.

[wiggy]

This needs sorting! Is it right that military pilots are flying without EASA recognized medicals?

I guess it might shock you to realise that we used to ( hopefully still do) flash around in all sorts of exotic and not so exotic military aircraft without an EASA licence of any sort, in fact scrubb that - without a licence of any sort.

Long may it continue.

[Arty Fufkin]

"Long may it continue"

Are you quite sure about that? I'm fairly sure that most military pilots would love to be required to fly with an appropriate EASA licence.

[Uncle Ginsters]

Wiggy,

With chat like that, you could be writing the latest Military Accreditation paper...:D

[wiggy]

Sorry chaps, my humble apologies I realise that my comment came out all "wrong", so to speak, no offence intended..

As I found out many years back there are some in the civvy world who, irrespective of hours and types in the logbook see a CAA (now EASA) licence as being the be all and end all ...which of course sadly it is if you haven't got one and you're looking for a job. And yes I agree it sucks and yes I agree it's a crying shame your military flying doesn't qualify for a licence.......

Does that make sense or have I dug an even bigger hole?