Class 1 Medical - Mental Health
 

Let me set the scene :

Around 2 years ago I had a blip within my mental health. There were a number of triggers which covered a number of topics such as:-

• The failure of my PPL exam (when I was 15 - lost all confidence and literally killed me - pathetic now considering I passed them all earlier last year and got full marks in all exams)
• The failure of my business
• The loss of my secure job
• The unexpected passing of extremely close family members over 2 months
• The difficult past relationship which left my financially unstable and somewhat mentally scared

Whilst I did see a psychiatrist & physccologist, there was never any diagnosis and with some talking therapy (no meds) I recovered. Like I say, I went on the obtain my class 2 medical (yes - I mentioned all this to them and was issued with the class 2 without any issues) and I’ve been flying PPL since.

So I’ve been to my class 1 and they sent me to an indepnednt physiologist. He’s taken all my medical notes and said “It looks like a complex past”

This fills me with very little confidence and in all honestly, I don’t think he’s very confident on the whole thing either.

With all that in mind, just wondered if anyone else had had the same experience with this or something similar. What are the CAA like when dealing with stuff like this? Do I just need to look for a new career?

Hi Jordan,

It sounds like you went through many difficult events over a short period of time and I believe that a lot of us would have taken a hit to our mental health if we went through everything you did. From what you have posted it appears that you were able to seek help, were successfully treated and have made a full recovery so well done! you have gone on to pass your PPL exams which is great also!

I am not a medical professional so it would not add any value for me to discuss your particular circumstances but I would like to share my experience of an AME referral to a Psychiatrist (which i attended yesterday) in the hope that this may help put your mind at rest or give you an indication of what to expect.

I received a referral to a Psychiatrist after my AME reviewed my completed forms at the initial examination. I had 3 recorded instances on my GP records of work related stress, depression and low mood and had listed these on the form. I obtained a letter from my GP which detailed the symptoms of these 3 instances including the treatment I received. As this was nearly 5 years ago my GP also stated on the letter that I had been successfully treated and had that it would appear that I have been symptom free for the past 5 years. I have indeed been symptom free for this time and made a full recovery but as the GP has not seen me in 5 years I expect he chose the wording of 'appear'. Anyway, I presented my GP letter to my AME at my Class 1 and his response came across as negative (well from my perception) and he pointed out that i would certainly need to be referred to a Psychiatrist and he referenced the Germanwings incident. I was expecting this and fully understand the reasons for an investigation but like yourself the AME's reaction did not fill me with confidence.

I visited the Psychiatrist that they recommended based in Swindon, he is ex RAF and CAA and a really nice bloke. He put me at ease immediately and starting asking basic life questions such as : where am I from? what do I do for work? any brothers and sisters etc. This relaxed me and the discussion was flowing well, he then stated why I was here and why we had to go through this process, again referencing the Germanwings incident. I then took this opportunity to present him with the letter from my GP which he said was extremely useful. He then took a minute to read it through and then he ran through each of the 3 incidents and we talked about what triggered them and how I was treated. This was an easy discussion as the Psychiatrist was very warm and friendly and made me feel at ease. I believe having this letter was extremely beneficial as it presented the facts in a concise manner and it was easy for me to refer to and respond to any questions without waffling.

The rest of the discussion was very pleasant and actually very educational as the Psychiatrist explained how the body responds to stress triggers and how depression comes on etc. We also spoke a little bit about the RAF and flying in general as well as my plans to start an MPL course.

I was in there for about an hour and the Psychiatrist advised that the stress/depressive episodes I experienced 5 years ago were an expected reaction to the things that were going on in my life at the time. He advised that he was happy to complete the report and that I would not have any issues.

I would recommend that you obtain a letter from whomever you saw before (GP, Psychiatrist etc) stating the dates, symptoms and any treatments so that you have all your facts lined up and clearly presented before you go in.

May of us have 'blips' in our mental health you did the right thing by seeking help and also disclosing it on your Class 1 forms. I was incredibly anxious about my medical history and to the point where like yourself I was worrying wether I should be seeking another Career. Looking back I was getting myself in a state for no reason, I guess we entertain those thoughts because so much is hanging on obtaining this Class 1 that some anxiety is to be expected.

Good luck with it! I expect you will be fine! and let us know how it goes.

Hi Jordan, I just realised (also from your other post) that you may have meant 'psychiatrist' when you referred to seeing a 'physiologist' and therefore you have already attended the AME referral.

I will leave my reply here though as it may be useful to others going through the same process.

Hi Jordan,

When you visited the Psychiatrist did he not sit down with you and conduct an evaluation? (or whatever it is called in clinical terms). It sounds like he literally took your notes from you and sent you away? seems really odd!

Did he advise on the next steps? is your expectation that he will now complete his report and forward back to the AME? I don't like to speculate but perhaps he has enough information from your notes to complete the report? he may reach out to you if any further information is required. Might be worth reaching out to his Medical Secretary for an update to see where things are.

Let us know how you get on! I am currently waiting for the Psychiatrist who saw me last week to complete and forward my report to the AME.

Cheers.

Hi Jordan i went to a good psychiatrist in Harrogate and i understand that is close to you, yes there will be personal questions and she will drill into your past like she also did with me but do not give up on your dreams!
My past spell of anxiety was through loosing my job which she completely understood.
Her name is Dr Susan Bradbury ,cost £350 ,it took her about 7 days for the report to be written from my consultation.
[email protected]

Ciao

Jordan, any chance you can get your medical records directly from your GP yourself? When I spoke to my Surgery they were happy to do this, the fee was only £12. The NHS have a system called systmonline, as a patient you can get access to it and view a summary record of your medical notes yourself.

My Psychiatric report was completed in less than a week. If I were in your shoes I would take a pragmatic approach, obtain your records and perhaps visit Dr Bradbury and get this over the line!

Before the appointment, I went to my GP and requested my medical records, so that I could take them down south to this appointment with me. I left them there as they said they wanted to have a look through them now they’re saying they can’t find them! I’m annoyed they’ve lost that level of sensitive data! On the bright side - in that conversation I also had confirmation they have finally wrote the letter and sent it to my AME - yesterday! 3 weeks after the initial apt!

Best of luck to you Jordan.

Did you go to Hms or Gatwick btw?

Mental Health
 

Hi, Sorry I know this thread is old but I’m looking for some insight or advice on what I should expect when trying to obtain a Class 1.

Around 1.5 years ago I had a short period (3-4 months) of low mood due to some pretty bad circumstances within my family, my older brother became seriously chronically ill leading him to be bedbound and subsequently I became a young career. I hope it is understandable that this effected my mental health and led to me visiting my GP to recieve advice. After talking with a mental health specialist I started a course of CBT, this along with some simple lifestyle changes led to my low mood being completely eradicated in a matter of weeks and I have felt symptom free for at least a year.

My medical record is quite conflicting:
- On one hand, there is a doctors note I obtained to withdrawal from university which states I showed signs of ‘moderate depression’. This was a conclusion from information given to the doctor by my mother not me.
- On the other hand, when I actually visited the GP, he recorded that I showed no signs of depression, it was simply a normal reaction to my situation.

Like I say I am completely fine now and have been for the last year or so, looking back my experience was in no way severe, I was just finding it hard to adapt to the difficult circumstances.

The process of applying for flight school and cost of obtaining a class 1 is a big commitment and I am really concerned that I will struggle to obtain a class 1 due to my past experience.

it was a relatively short time ago which is the main factor that concerns me. If anyone has any similar experiences or knowledge that is relevant, I would greatly appreciate it.

It might be worth calling your AME and talking to them about your history. They might be able to give you a bit of a steer as to if a seperate appointment with a psychiatrist is necessary. Please keep this in mind before reading the rest.

Now, if you are told to go and speak with a psychiatrist, I’d honestly give the CAA a call direct and see if you can have the appointment with one of their psychiatrists. I was told to go and see someone else first and in all honesty, it was a complete waste of time! Speaking from experience, the process was far quicker when I dealt with the CAA direct, and actually cheaper! I would say a reasonable delay is maybe 6 months, depending on how quickly you can actually A) Speak to your AME B) make and appointment with a psychiatrist (if required)

The other option, and I’ve not tried this so I don’t actually know if this is feasible. But you could give the CAA a shout before you even book your Class 1. Try and get an initial appointment with a psychiatrist and get them to do their “assessment” before you even apply. Do it on the basis that if the mental health history is a show stopper, then you haven’t wasted anything.

I would also be prepared to provide them with your entire medical history.

Ultimately though, comparing your history with mine based on what you’ve said, I would say, in the long run, you’ll be absolutely fine. The UK CAA are actually significantly more accommodating than they use to be.

All the best!

Hi I had something similar, went to my doctor just after I got sacked from a ****ty job I had for 4 years and told them I was feeling anxious. Bam... diagnosed with anxiety and given a sick note for 2 months. No actual investigation just diagnosed on the spot. Anyway, when applying for my class one I had to go see a psychiatrist, and spend an hour with her telling her about the situation and what happened. She then signed me off with a referral letter and that went along with my class one initial which I got no problem.

I'm sensing you just need a little reassurance. You dont need to be superman to get a class one. You just need to jump through a few hoops if you've had previous.

Get your class one sorted before applying to any flight schools. I just googled CAA approved psychiatris and found a lady up in Yorkshire. She was great (apart from the invoice of course ££ )

Best of luck with your journey, dont give up.