I understand that a lot of the drive for the current changes, at least for the NPPL pilots, is driven from the unforseen consequences of the move to the self certified, doctor counter signed medical that came in with the NPPL. The way GPs interpret the process has been inconsistent leading to the costs for NPPLs being very different, some being charged serious money and other being charged nothing. I have found it to be very good, personally, as my GP is a sensible and reasonable man who was prepared to read the notes and see what was going on. I know people whose GPs started from the point of view that it was a "flying medical" and didn't feel qualified to put their signature to the form without actually doing a comprehensive medical and charged accordingly. One poor pilot I know was blessed with a GP that thought that flying an aircraft was a job for a highly qualified professional pilot, chaps in their 60s should not be going flying for fun. The other problem is that you are supposed see your own GP, if you have one that doesn't cooperate you are a bit stuffed. Since the self certified medical came about the world has moved on. The blame culture has taken a grip and GPs are now obligued to carry huge insurance in case somebody, whose form they have signed, comes back to sue them for any incident that might have happened. When I went to get my form signed this year the GP was OK about it but he charged me £25, the first time he has charged. He explained that it costs him £2500 pa for the insurance he is required to have before he is allowed to sign medical forms for flying, driving and shot gun licences. He doesn't think that the practice will be signing any of these next year as they can't recoup the cost of the insurance premiums.
I personnally think it is all OTT. At the end of the day, or more likely the start of the day, it is up to the pilot to ensure that he is fit to take the controls of an aircraft. You have to be fit for every flight, not just on the day the medical form is signed.
Rans6............