Medical appointment pitfalls?

[lvjeremylv 10]

So while we wait to get a new interview appointment, we went ahead and scheduled my wife's medical appointment just so that's in the books and out of the way.  Plus we live in the northeast of England so it's a long journey down to London, and don't really want to do them too close together.

 

Anyway, what are some of the pitfalls that have been encountered when getting everything ready for the medical?  My wife went into her GP yesterday and when she told the receptionist that she would need a summary care record, the woman didn't seem to know what that was.  She gave my wife a form to fill out, which is called Subject Access Request.  It's 3 pages, and asks basic questions, it seems as if it's to give them permission to access/release her records.  Once this is submitted, I'm guessing the GP office will figure out what's needed and be able to accommodate?

 

Just want to make sure everything is in order before we get down there -- would hate to go all that way and not have everything we need.  Plus my wife is a bit of a worrier and likes to plan for every possible contingency, and even some that aren't possible lol

 

Thanks!

[yuna628 9,530]

Well yes, that drive to London all the way from the northeast is a long one isn't it? My husband took his dad along and made a buddy roadtrip out of it. 😝

 

As far as pitfalls goes, well the number one thing is always going to be vaccinations. Can your wife get the ones required from the GP before having the medical? Get proof of all that is received. That's what my husband did. Otherwise you'll be at the mercy of Knightbridge's high prices.

The summary is discussed toward the end of this thread 

 

[lvjeremylv 10]

25 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Well yes, that drive to London all the way from the northeast is a long one isn't it? My husband took his dad along and made a buddy roadtrip out of it. 😝

 

As far as pitfalls goes, well the number one thing is always going to be vaccinations. Can your wife get the ones required from the GP before having the medical? Get proof of all that is received. That's what my husband did. Otherwise you'll be at the mercy of Knightbridge's high prices.

The summary is discussed toward the end of this thread 

 

We're actually going to fly.  We found flights that are pretty reasonably priced and it will save me having to drive in London.  No thanks!

 

And yes, the vaccines will all be taken care of by the time we go.  We believe the only one she didn't have that is required is her flu jab, and she went and had that done yesterday.  Aside from that everything on that front should be in order.

 

And thanks, I'll have a look at the thread

[BLC 112]

Vaccines was our hold up. My husband brought the list of required vax to his GP…the GP gave him some that he needed. When he went to the medical he was still missing 2: hepatitis and I can’t remember the other. Then he had to go pay for the vaccines and the nurse who could give the hepatitis was not available for 2 weeks. It still only held up our approval by 2 days after the interview, though. 

[appleblossom 1,309]

Just checking you’re aware that her visa will only be valid for 6 months from the date of her medical? Not a problem if you’re planning on leaving fairly soon after she gets her visa of course, but just something to be aware of. 
 

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by appleblossom

[lvjeremylv 10]

11 minutes ago, appleblossom said:

Just checking you’re aware that her visa will only be valid for 6 months from the date of her medical? Not a problem if you’re planning on leaving fairly soon after she gets her visa of course, but just something to be aware of. 
 

 

Hi. Yes, indeed we are aware. We were/are hoping to be all finished with it in time to move by the end of February. Hopefully having to reschedule the interview won't mess that up. 🙏🏼

[lvjeremylv 10]

13 hours ago, BLC said:

Vaccines was our hold up. My husband brought the list of required vax to his GP…the GP gave him some that he needed. When he went to the medical he was still missing 2: hepatitis and I can’t remember the other. Then he had to go pay for the vaccines and the nurse who could give the hepatitis was not available for 2 weeks. It still only held up our approval by 2 days after the interview, though. 

Yeah I kinda thought vaccinations would be a speed bump for some. We think she's had them all - we're going to sit down and make sure soon, but she had all of the ones you're "supposed" to get as a child, then the COVID stuff. For her job she was required to get a hep B shot, which is one that I think some people normally don't get, and last week she had her flu jab. Hopefully that'll be good on that front.

[Done123 2]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:34 PM, lvjeremylv said:

So while we wait to get a new interview appointment, we went ahead and scheduled my wife's medical appointment just so that's in the books and out of the way.  Plus we live in the northeast of England so it's a long journey down to London, and don't really want to do them too close together.

 

Anyway, what are some of the pitfalls that have been encountered when getting everything ready for the medical?  My wife went into her GP yesterday and when she told the receptionist that she would need a summary care record, the woman didn't seem to know what that was.  She gave my wife a form to fill out, which is called Subject Access Request.  It's 3 pages, and asks basic questions, it seems as if it's to give them permission to access/release her records.  Once this is submitted, I'm guessing the GP office will figure out what's needed and be able to accommodate?

 

Just want to make sure everything is in order before we get down there -- would hate to go all that way and not have everything we need.  Plus my wife is a bit of a worrier and likes to plan for every possible contingency, and even some that aren't possible lol

 

Thanks!

The Subject Access Request is very different to the patient care summary. I took documents I’d received from a SAR to my visa medical, and the doctor said it didn’t provide him with the evidence he needed. 
 

If I were you, I would request the patient care summary via email/online contact if your surgery has it so that another receptionist can pick it up/they will look into it better if they have to respond to your request in writing.
 

The doctor at your GP should know what a patient care summary is. Or the receptionist should be able to contact someone to find out what it is. It’s a short summary of your overall current/past health. A SAR will take a longer time to process. 
 

Believe me, you don’t want to be chasing your GP for correct information after the medical and before the interview - it’s not fun. 

[lvjeremylv 10]

21 hours ago, Done123 said:

The Subject Access Request is very different to the patient care summary. I took documents I’d received from a SAR to my visa medical, and the doctor said it didn’t provide him with the evidence he needed. 
 

If I were you, I would request the patient care summary via email/online contact if your surgery has it so that another receptionist can pick it up/they will look into it better if they have to respond to your request in writing.
 

The doctor at your GP should know what a patient care summary is. Or the receptionist should be able to contact someone to find out what it is. It’s a short summary of your overall current/past health. A SAR will take a longer time to process. 
 

Believe me, you don’t want to be chasing your GP for correct information after the medical and before the interview - it’s not fun. 

Thanks for the feedback. My wife picked up the paperwork from her GP on Monday, and it's 5 pages (front & back) with her whole medical history.  Medications, information about previous visits, vaccination records, stuff about a couple of procedures she's had done, etc.  Is this not what the doctor will want to see?

 

You say that the doctor told you there wasn't the correct info that he wanted to see about you.  Is there something specific he was wondering about that you didn't provide?

[Done123 2]

3 hours ago, lvjeremylv said:

Thanks for the feedback. My wife picked up the paperwork from her GP on Monday, and it's 5 pages (front & back) with her whole medical history.  Medications, information about previous visits, vaccination records, stuff about a couple of procedures she's had done, etc.  Is this not what the doctor will want to see?

 

You say that the doctor told you there wasn't the correct info that he wanted to see about you.  Is there something specific he was wondering about that you didn't provide?

Ah it took over 2 months for me to get documents from a SAR! Sounds like you have a good GP.
 

The patient summary I got was a page long, but included essential information for the doctor including medication, significant health issues etc. I got a separate vaccination record because it’s easier for the nurse to review instead of filtering the info.
 

Your wife will see about 3 medical professionals at her appointment. The first is a doctor (the one who wants medical history etc), the second is a nurse (the one who wants the vaccination records) and the last is the person who will do the X-ray. 

 

It could be fine for your wife to provide those 10 pages, especially if there’s nothing significant that you’d need to provide extra info on, but I’d try and give the doctor what they’ve asked for. The environment they work in is really fast-paced so they’ll just want to read what they need to know - giving more info than necessary is honest and great, but adds to their workload and they could pick up on something they need extra info on. 
 

If you call Visa Medicals in London (guessing she’ll be going there), they’ll be able to tell you whether they’d prefer the patient summary. They’re actually quite helpful and responsive. They want you to get everything right as it makes life easier for them too. The 10 pages could be absolutely fine, but better to ask them about it: https://visamedicals.co.uk/?amp

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Done123

[Az21 0]

Thought it'd be best to ask in this relatable thread -

 

Got my medical booked, and noticed that the requirements in the email suggest to get a report from the GP if there are any significant/previous/ongoing medical conditions, e.g. depression, anxiety, etc.

 

I was signed off work for a couple of months early in 2023 with work-related stress/anxiety, and was put on Sertraline medication for 6 months. Been off them for a few months now, but just wondered if this was something worth getting a GP report for, or if it isn't considered significant?

 

 

In the meantime, been still waiting on receiving my patient care summary from my GP surgery, but they had no idea what it was when I first asked. Hoping to get that next week.

 

Thanks for any help!