MK, there is no evidence to support the view that pilots without medicals have had accidents in the past, because that option hasn't existed hitherto! Perhaps they haven't had accidents because they've held valid medicals?
The original NPPL Medical Declaration system was fine and worked well for many years, but has now been ruined by this new system. Many pilots who used to be able to obtain a medical declaration with their GP will now have to visit an AME who won't know them from Adam.
Whopity, you are right about 'making it up as they go along'. Some of the recent conversations I've had have been very revealing...
And no, sorry ifitiaint but the topic of insurers came up in conversation and I wasn't told the name of the company. But I certainly know that clubs are refusing to rent aircraft to pilots without at least an NPPL medical declaration or a Part-MED medical.
Instead of wasting precious staff time on nonsense such as 90-day rules and medical self-declarations, the CAA should have used the time to update CAP804 contemporaneously with the ANO and Aircrew Regulation changes - things which actually matter!