Let me tell you what happened to me...
A few years ago I went to my usual AME for a six monthly medical. He spotted something unusual in my ECG and rang the CAA whilst I sat there in front of him. Ther was some discussion and I was instructed to attend at Gatwick at 10.00 the following morning. I turned up on time and they knew nothing about me... Eventually I was seen after lunch.
They put me on the treadmill and the supervising Doctor declared that there was no problem. I asked him for a Class 1 certificate but he said he couldn’t issue me one as he hadn’t done the eyes, ears, throat etc. I was instructed to return to my AME and for him to issue the certificate.
As an ex CAA employee I realised the importance of what he just said and so asked him to write me a letter, for me to present to my AME saying, as far as he was concerned, the AME could issue the Certificate. This he did and the following day I presented the letter to the AME who gave me a new Certifiacte and I returned to flying.
Imagine my horror when,a few weeks later,a letter dropped through my letter box from a different doctor at Gatwick saying that following my attendance there my Medical was withdrawn and would only be renewed subject to a long list of tests and a report from a Cardiloiogist.
I protested to the Chief Medical Officer who would only say that they hoped I would get better service from them next time, but in the mean time all the tests had to be carried out. In all they took 3 weeks to complete and I once again returned to work.
I am gretaeful that that my employer was fully cooperative. Just imagine what would have happened had there been an accident in the intervening period.
RVF750 said that that they have been unfit for purpose for a few years. He is wrong. It’s not years, it’s decades. This took place in about 1999.
And CAA if you are reading this look me up. ATPL 218160/F