CAA decisions defy all logic.
When I retired to NZ I applied to the NZ CAA for a NZ ATPL based on my still valid , but without recent experience, UK ATPL. This was refused on the grounds that NZ doesn't recognise a UK Instrument Rating. The fact that I had flown British ( and other ) registered 747's IFR between Christchurch and Auckland on many occasions counted for nought, I was forbidden to fly IFR in a Cessna in my local area. ( I am a volunteer - i.e. unpaid - SAR pilot for the local Coastguard Air Patrol ) As we almost never fly at night - can't see anyone in difficulty on the water - or bad weather, same reason, a VFR CPL was all I needed, and that was grudgingly granted, but I had to talk them out of returning to the UK, at their suggestion, to fully re-validate my UK ATPL before they would issue their CPL - won that one after a local flight test and NZ CPL Law exam.
In 1999 I returned to the UK to fly for 6 months and revalidated my UK ATPL but had to visit the CAA Med. Section at Gatwick following a question about a recent ECG. The UK CAA Cardiologist dismissed the ECG question as irrelevant but took my blood pressure. Geez ! Did you come around the M-25, you're not driving home the same way, are you ? Licence suspended but details forwarded to my NZ doctor for investigation, as I was about to return to NZ.
My NZ AME wired me up with a monitor, and ultimately could find no evidence of high blood pressure, or any reason for the rogue result in London ( M-25 ? ) and sent the results back to Gatwick. The same cardio. restored my licence and said he could offer no explanation for the now normal result - maybe it was because I was now stood on my head ? he said !! A CAA official with a sense of humour !
At age 75 I renewed my NZ CPL with a new Class 1 Med. Cert. but solely due to my age the NZ CAA demanded a stress ECG and the consultant cardio. emulated the UK CAA one, ie. "You're not driving home, are you ? " and 2 weeks later I was the proud possessor of two arterial stents.
The NZ CAA promptly grounded me for a year ( that didn't stop me flying microlights, for which the medical standard is that of an 80+ car driver issued by a GP not an AME and and the CAA have marginal control over the issue of microlight licences ) and after a year they told me never to darken their doorstep again with regard to a CPL, and even demanded stringent, and expensive annual tests for the maintenance of a PPL.
At this point I told them what to do with their PPL and obtained a then new RPL - Recreational Pilot Licence, for which the medical standard is that of a commercial driver with passenger endorsement, e.g. a bus driver, again issued by a GP. This enables me to still fly the Coastguard Cessna 182 but with only one crew member. I can die and kill one passenger but not four. Did I mention CAA logic ? but I'm not complaining, and neither would you if you were in trouble at sea and were spotted by only two pairs of eyes instead of four.
In demanding the stress ECG at age 75, the CAA may well have saved my life, so I shouldn't be ungrateful, but at the time my AME issued you with my new Class 1 cert. I could legally have still flown a 747, subsequently a problem was found, it was fixed, so I'm now in better shape than when that medical cert. was issued, but I can't now hold even a PPL.
As a pilot my problems were found and fixed - how many drivers hurtling towards you at a closing speed in excess of 140 mph have ever even been near a doctor ?
Makes you think.