Heart transplant and NPPL

[xrayalpha]

Hi all,

I have a student who has had a heart transplant a couple of years back. After his trial flight, I gave him the NPPL medical stuff and said he better get checked out by the doc before committing himself to further lessons.

He is "fit enough to drive a car" which seems to be the basic NPPL standard.

And he came back with the form signed by his GP.

Now, I had a student with a quadruple heart bypass (but he still has his own heart!) and he has to do an annual ECG under exertion.

I would have thought a referral to a consultant would have been a good idea for someone with a transplant, but is it a legal requirement?

And if the GP has screwed up, am I responsible?

As the chap says, HE knows his new heart is OK since they wouldn't have given it to him otherwise!! But his instructors' can't say that about theirs!!

Very best wishes,

Colin

[QDMQDMQDM]

NPPL medical standards = DVLA medical standards, which are here:

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/medical/aagv1.pdf

Basically, as long as the new heart is working well, you can drive an HGV or have an unrestricted NPPL medical. No consultant referral needed, although all transplant recipients will be under a consultant.

QDM

[Flyin'Dutch']

And if the GP has screwed up, am I responsible?

Yup, just as a GP or AME is responsible for an instructor screwing up and letting a student solo.

:ugh:

Joking apart; well done to you for letting the guy fly and point him in the NPPL direction and well done to the GP for signing his NPPL medical.

Too few instructors and GPs understand that if you meet the DVLA standards you can go fly and enjoy yourself.