Class One medical costs

[TriBeCa]

What would you say is a reasonable amount to pay for a Class One revalidation?

For the medical, an ECG and audio gram?

[Radgirl]

This depends upon which side of the desk you sit. I know prices vary tremendously, but from a healthcare provider's perspective the expenditure is as follows:

Provision of room - capital cost, business rates, heating and lighting. A charge of £30 to £40 an hour in practice has little profit

Staff costs - you have to have one other person. A qualified person such as a nurse FTE is £27 an hour including employer's costs

ECG. If amortised purely for this work the equipment itself would be £7 per patient if used 4-5 times a day five days a week

Audiogram. On same basis £12 but fewer candidates need an audiogram so you may have to double this

Training and software and computer capability for CAA probably £5 per candidate. I am not an AME and stand to be corrected on this one

Professional indemnity - I am hearing scary stories but allow £10 per examination

Other insurances £2

Salary - variable but to be the same as a bog standard GP £54 assuming an hour per examination allowing for reports and ongoing correspondence and communications

So about £157 per hour even if you can get one candidate every hour five days a week. Of course many AMEs are GPs who use the practice nurse, practice ECG and practice audiogram and lump in their costs which is all above board, but were they to step back and really consider whether the work is worth the extra hassle I dare say many might think again. These high costs are fine for employed line pilots whose employers pick up the tab but for recreational PPLs it is a lot of money and sadly both doctor and pilot walk away discontent financially.

[TriBeCa]

That’s a constructive reply, thanks.

So £365 could be seen as excessive then!

[Stretchwell]

I just paid £244 and that’s approximately the going rate.

[ShyTorque]

This depends upon which side of the desk you sit. I know prices vary tremendously, but from a healthcare provider's perspective the expenditure is as follows:

Provision of room - capital cost, business rates, heating and lighting. A charge of £30 to £40 an hour in practice has little profit

Staff costs - you have to have one other person. A qualified person such as a nurse FTE is £27 an hour including employer's costs.

Why is that? I’ve been having civilian pilot medical checks for thirty years and have seldom seen this “other” qualified person apart from the AME himself and certainly not at all for at least two dozen years (even though these days I need a medical every six months).

I just paid £270, btw.

[Radgirl]

Most doctors would not want to be on their own in a building especially if they are seeing the pilot for the first time. They would want a receptionist or nurse. In addition we must remember some pilots are women :eek: and you cannot possibly examine a woman without a chaparone.

[Piper.Classique]

And of course some doctors are women, and some men and women have same sex preferences...let's not go into this, it's getting complicated. Probably not a bad idea to have another person close by, at least.

[ShyTorque]

Most doctors would not want to be on their own in a building especially if they are seeing the pilot for the first time. They would want a receptionist or nurse. In addition we must remember some pilots are women :eek: and you cannot possibly examine a woman without a chaparone.

All I can say is that it isn’t always the case. The AME practice that I use states on the website that a chaperone can be made available if the client so wishes, but it’s certainly not the norm there.

I am very much aware that some pilots are women, having trained quite a few to fly.

[brika]

True. Docs need to cover their backs.

[RatherBeFlying]

In Canada my first AME practiced in a room adjacent to his carport in a 50s suburb, no receptionist. You could characterise the space as a rec room.
​