DAME Newsletter - November 2013
NEW! – Direct AvMed Phone line
As of the 14th October the AvMed phone enquiries for Pilots and Controllers are being attended to by the AvMed assessing team. Please encourage all applicants to use this number when contacting AvMed.
Practice point: The new number for pilots and controllers is
1300 4 AVMED ( 1300 4 28633 ).
The contact number for DAMEs has not changed: +61 2 6217 1170.
Christmas is fast approaching
As you know, every year we have the medical application “bulge” before Christmas, and in the past we have had difficulties dealing with it. Last year, with your co-operation, we ran our “Christmas Procedure” and it ran like a charm. Everyone was happy and able to fly over the break. WE want to make this an annual procedure.
To ensure that applications are reviewed before the CASA Christmas shutdown ( 25th Dec – 2nd Jan) please tell your pilots, and have all medicals and documentation submitted to AvMed by the 6th December. We are unable to guarantee that any medical received after the 6th will be processed before Christmas.
MRS Online enhancement
An enhancement to the MRS on-line system occurred on Thursday the 25th October, we have reason to believe that correspondence by emailed to all DAMEs providing details and changes may not have reached everyone. This enhancement was to fix some existing problems, and to require a declaration to be scanned and submitted at the time of submission. This means DAMEs cannot submit a medical without first uploading the declaration form. This ensures that the completed medical is received as a complete document.
Why did this happen without adequate notice? Well, the plan was to send you advance information in this newsletter, but the IT team decided to deliver ahead of schedule! The choice was, delay (indefinitely) until the next window, or accept – a real Hobson’s choice! So we made it happen and sent you an email to advise. We apologise for the lack of communication.
If you are having problems with this upgrade because you do not have a scanner, please call Karl, and we can find interim solutions.
MRS Online
I would like to encourage all DAMEs who are currently not using the MRS On-line system to “give it a go”. It is far faster so applicants are happy too. Once you become familiar with the process I believe that you will find it a preferable system.
Practice point: All Payment forms must be emailed to [email protected]
BUGS: Lipids, Audio & Ophtho dates
This is a known nuisance! The fix has been a challenge with the MRS On-line asking for age requirements inappropriately. Currently, the system is now recognising all dates for these reports when they have been entered into the system this year. I will let you know immediately when dates recognised prior to 2013 are corrected.
Consent to email
As mentioned last month the
MRS On-line declaration has been altered to include a “
consent to email”. This will enable us to email any correspondence or Medical Certificate issued to the applicant the same day they are generated. This is currently not available for applications received on the paper based forms.
Sometime in November, we will start
emailing out certificates to those applicants who are sending in electronic applications.
Practice point: Please check the applicant’s email address when doing the MRS Online medical!!
Emailing reports to CASA
We have recently had an issue where a DAME emailed directly to a CASA Medical Officer who was on leave. As such we had no access to the report and the applicant had been disadvantaged due to this.
Practice point: Please forward reports to the AvMed mailbox
[email protected].
Airservices Australia Fire Fighters
We continue to receive inquiries in regard to the processing of Fire Fighter Medical applications. Fire fighters have to meet the Class 2 medical standard, and the medicals are done by DAMEs, but they are not CASA medicals! They are done on Airservices forms and following their procedures. The standards are absolute (no flexibility as when we make decisions – they either meet them or not). All inquiries need to be addressed to Airservices Australia, and submitted to Airservices Australia.
Cabin Crew
We have recently received several enquires about cabin crew medicals. Aviation Medicine is not responsible for assessing the medical fitness of cabin crew. Please contact the appropriate airline for such applications.
Survey Time - DAME Education
I hope you enjoyed seeing the results of the last survey. The next survey deals with the DAME education that is carried out by CASA in conjunction with ASAM. The survey will be emailed on the 1st November, please take
two minutes to complete it (all our surveys are planned so as to be completed in 120 seconds). This is really important for us - to know how to best provide appropriate education to you.
DAME Education and CPD
Seminar and conference information
AMSVIC will hold a meeting on Saturday 19 April in Queenstown, followed by a day at Warbirds over Wanaka.
Dates for the other state based conferences in 2014 have not yet been finalised.