London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Look guys--this isn't a math quiz that will determine if you graduate from University. It's a simple assessment of your health.

Smokers have health risks. What doctor office doesn't ask all the same basic questions of new patients? At most they would fuss at you a bit. It has nothing to do with getting a visa. If you haven't gone out regularly and bought cigarettes and smoked day after day, week after week, then why bother claiming to be a smoker? Are you freakin' kidding me??? You are over-analyzing wording. It's a generic doctor questionnaire to get a quick idea of your general health before they do their required tests.

[Berty 74]

^ I agree; smoking a handful of times in your entire life, or having a picture of yourself on FB smoking (once) does not make you a smoker. They're not looking to catch you out, and adding unnecessary details overcomplicates things.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Berty

[Laura. 90]

Another quick question all this warm weather in the UK has made me think of. Hayfever medication.

I don't take it daily, just when the pollen count is a bit high. And it's only over the counter, nothing prescribed. (I don't even think Hayfever is on my medical records.)

Should I mention it or is it another to skip over?

[lost_at_sea 995]

Another quick question all this warm weather in the UK has made me think of. Hayfever medication.

I don't take it daily, just when the pollen count is a bit high. And it's only over the counter, nothing prescribed. (I don't even think Hayfever is on my medical records.)

Should I mention it or is it another to skip over?

Skip it. Do you want to list every aspirin you've ever taken, too? They're totally just interested in prescriptions for on-going illness.

Plus, this weather has been ridiculous. I hadn't had hay-fever for like 16 years, but this last couple months it came back! Crazy.

[Laura. 90]

Skip it. Do you want to list every aspirin you've ever taken, too? They're totally just interested in prescriptions for on-going illness.

Plus, this weather has been ridiculous. I hadn't had hay-fever for like 16 years, but this last couple months it came back! Crazy.

That's what I thought, just wanted to hear it from someone else I guess.

And I know what you mean! I didn't get it all last year, and I was pretty happily going around thinking I'd gotten over it. Turns out nope

[Laura. 90]

Okay so my medical is tomorrow and I'm having a last minute panic. I did plan on taking UK and US sized photos and letting them choose, but of course all of the PhotoMe booths in my local supermarkets have had some kind of meltdown and are "temporarily out of service" so I can't get the US sized ones yet.

What has anyone else used for this? Will they be fine with my UK ones, or do I need to go on a mad rush at 7am tomorrow to find a working machine? -.-

[lost_at_sea 995]

Okay so my medical is tomorrow and I'm having a last minute panic. I did plan on taking UK and US sized photos and letting them choose, but of course all of the PhotoMe booths in my local supermarkets have had some kind of meltdown and are "temporarily out of service" so I can't get the US sized ones yet.

What has anyone else used for this? Will they be fine with my UK ones, or do I need to go on a mad rush at 7am tomorrow to find a working machine? -.-

UK is fine. When I booked my medical, I asked the receptionist "Do you need UK or US sized photographs?" and she said "Either will be fine". If you look back through the reviews on here, too, you'll see lots of people handing over a UK passport photo and that being used.

No need for a mad dash!

p.s. I didn't realise the PhotoMe booths even DID US sized photos! Good tip.

Edited July 8, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Tracey&Greg 33]

nevermind..i just answered my own question

Edited July 10, 2013 by Tracey&Greg

[Vanitas 310]

UK is fine. When I booked my medical, I asked the receptionist "Do you need UK or US sized photographs?" and she said "Either will be fine". If you look back through the reviews on here, too, you'll see lots of people handing over a UK passport photo and that being used.

No need for a mad dash!

p.s. I didn't realise the PhotoMe booths even DID US sized photos! Good tip.

Yup. £7 outside of London, not sure if price will change inside London. Got some for Amy to take back for the I-129F instead of trying to do them online and getting rejected or something,

That being said, I have a question for you all (and I'm sort of sure I know the answer, but I just want to confirm) - I recently had my gastric band installed. That's not really going to be a worry for the Doc's is it? Got my Band ID card so they can see the type, who installed it and so forth ready for when I actually have to have the medical..

Edited July 15, 2013 by Ryan&Amy

[helpmeplz2013 0]

Ok all I really need your advice please! My other half has a caution from 5 years ago about being caught with cannabis while at University. They have since reformed and grown up (as we all do!) though still splashes out now and again for things like a trip to Amsterdam where it is legal - doesn't do anything else at all. Will they drug test at the medical exam in London? Just nervous as one of these VERY RARE occurrences happened just the other day at a Hen party for a friend - they realize this was a stupid thing to do and are very upset that they allowed themselves to stoop so low when drunk and in the party spirit. The appointment is later this week (on the 4th day after incident). Should we reschedule or is it not a problem? Please advise as I'm just sick with worry now - we both are. Thank you

[Laura. 90]

Ok all I really need your advice please! My other half has a caution from 5 years ago about being caught with cannabis while at University. They have since reformed and grown up (as we all do!) though still splashes out now and again for things like a trip to Amsterdam where it is legal - doesn't do anything else at all. Will they drug test at the medical exam in London? Just nervous as one of these VERY RARE occurrences happened just the other day at a Hen party for a friend - they realize this was a stupid thing to do and are very upset that they allowed themselves to stoop so low when drunk and in the party spirit. The appointment is later this week (on the 4th day after incident). Should we reschedule or is it not a problem? Please advise as I'm just sick with worry now - we both are. Thank you

I can't comment on the drug issue, but there is a £90 charge on cancellations within 3 working days.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Ok all I really need your advice please! My other half has a caution from 5 years ago about being caught with cannabis while at University. They have since reformed and grown up (as we all do!) though still splashes out now and again for things like a trip to Amsterdam where it is legal - doesn't do anything else at all. Will they drug test at the medical exam in London? Just nervous as one of these VERY RARE occurrences happened just the other day at a Hen party for a friend - they realize this was a stupid thing to do and are very upset that they allowed themselves to stoop so low when drunk and in the party spirit. The appointment is later this week (on the 4th day after incident). Should we reschedule or is it not a problem? Please advise as I'm just sick with worry now - we both are. Thank you

Does he/she (I guess she from hen party?) have her police report and subject access report to show this caution? It's needed for the medical and will be discussed there.

Drug use is one of the reasons they can deny a visa. I've not read about a case that's gone through London with a drug offense, so not sure how that'll pan out. I'm pretty sure I've read cases from other countries, however, where if there is a history of drug use, then they have a year to show they are clean (or that they have been clean for a year, I guess, with evidence?). Here's an example of one of those folks: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/397341-fiance-visa-denied/

I'm not sure what good rescheduling your interview will do. They don't test at the medical by default (they take blood for a syphilis test, and no urine sample), but his drug abuse past will be obvious from his police report, and that's enough for them to perhaps tell him he has to show a year clean before they'll sign him off.

Edited July 16, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Anna Grant 169]

Ok all I really need your advice please! My other half has a caution from 5 years ago about being caught with cannabis while at University. They have since reformed and grown up (as we all do!) though still splashes out now and again for things like a trip to Amsterdam where it is legal - doesn't do anything else at all. Will they drug test at the medical exam in London? Just nervous as one of these VERY RARE occurrences happened just the other day at a Hen party for a friend - they realize this was a stupid thing to do and are very upset that they allowed themselves to stoop so low when drunk and in the party spirit. The appointment is later this week (on the 4th day after incident). Should we reschedule or is it not a problem? Please advise as I'm just sick with worry now - we both are. Thank you

OK. How were they intending to answer the following questions on the medical questionnaire:

• Have you ever misused or abused drugs?
• Have you ever caused deliberate damage to property or had trouble with the law because of a mental condition, mental disorder or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs?

Now the first one is open to interpretation - what is 'misused or abused'? However, could your fiancee be said to have had 'trouble with the law' whilst 'under the influence of drugs' because of their caution?

Presumably, the caution appears on her Police Certificate or SAR? She is likely to be asked if she still takes drugs.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Ok all I really need your advice please! My other half has a caution from 5 years ago about being caught with cannabis while at University. They have since reformed and grown up (as we all do!) though still splashes out now and again for things like a trip to Amsterdam where it is legal - doesn't do anything else at all. Will they drug test at the medical exam in London? Just nervous as one of these VERY RARE occurrences happened just the other day at a Hen party for a friend - they realize this was a stupid thing to do and are very upset that they allowed themselves to stoop so low when drunk and in the party spirit. The appointment is later this week (on the 4th day after incident). Should we reschedule or is it not a problem? Please advise as I'm just sick with worry now - we both are. Thank you

Drugs are a serious thing to the US visa process. There is no hiding the fact that she has used an illegal drug because she has a police record for it. There is more than "passing" the medical exam. There are two questionnaires for the medical. Beware of misrepresentation to gain immigration benefits, which is even more serious to the US. Trying to hide something at one place by not answering truthfully can come back to bite her when there is a written record that will be viewed at the interview, even if she happened to get by without the medical people knowing. People who engage in purposeful misrepresentation of a material fact in order to gain an immigration benefit are permanently inadmissible. There are limited waivers for certain people, not fiancés, and they are not frequently granted. What I am saying is--admitting to drug use at University "before she grew up" can be overcome easier than misrepresentation. No comment on the occasional splash out and hen party after she "grew up" but the written record of five years ago is indisputable.

Also I am aware of a people suspected of drugs to be screened. One USC reported here on the UK forum that her fiancé smoked a joint in his hotel room the night before his interview (or maybe medical). He was sent straight for drug screening. I think it was the embassy that did this. How foolish to jeopardize something you have waited so long for.

[Portlandia 15]

I had my medical on 9 July. Got to say, it was more stressful and intrusive than I had expected, although all the staff were friendly, professional and understanding, which did make it better than it otherwise might have been.

Photos - I had spares of both formats so brought both. They chose the UK format.

Police certificates - if you have certificates from other countries, they're not interested in them, they only want the UK one

Forms - you're asked to fill in a similar-but-different form to the one you bring with you. eg: original form asks "have you ever had any mental disorder or depression?" to which I answered yes. On the form I filled in at the clinic, I was asked "have you suffered from a severe mental illness?" to which I answered no. Discrepancies are discussed with the doctor and that was all okay.

Drugs - sorry, too late for the earlier poster, but I was asked specifically if I had ever taken drugs. I said "no, apart from a bit of experimentation at university", which given that that was 20 years ago, I thought would be the end of it. No! Apparently the US are really strict on this. So I had to explain my drugs taking - "um, tried dope at parties a few times over about a 6 month period and then didn't try it again after that as I really didn't like it". AND I had to have a drugs test (an extra £38). The doctor explained that they had to do it now, but that having the drugs test would prevent problems later, as these questions would be asked again when applying for AOS. Seemed somewhat OTT but if I can get it sorted now, I guess it makes things easier later.

Process - you wait in the waiting area and then get called for an interview with a doctor. My doctor was a warm and friendly kiwi woman. We went through the form. I was lectured about smoking, and had a sympathetic discussion about antipodean policy on not removing tonsils in children (my hospitalisations were both tonsil related as an adult). The mental health discrepancy was discussed - I had a couple of relatively minor depressive episodes about 20 years ago at university. The first time I took the antidpressants they prescribed, the second time I didn't. She wanted to know what they were (I couldn't remember) and how long I took them for (again, I had to guess). She was fine with that. I then changed into a dressing gown (note to the ladies - don't wear a dress to the medical because then you need to get fully undressed! And bring a bag you can put your clothes into - I was carrying my cardigan, dress and bra around between the various rooms). The doctor checked my weight, blood pressure, eyes, glands, mouth and throat, and gave me a basic vision test - all good. Blood was taken for a syphillis test. The doctor gave me a breast exam. Then the "gender check" which seemed a little unnecessary as she'd just been groping my breasts. She apologised for having to do it, but it really was "just a peek down there". Still rather humiliating though.

Drugs test - she took me to a bathroom (walking past reception and the waiting room just wearing the dressing gown) and kept my bags outside, I wasn't allowed to shut the door, the windows weren't frosted, and had to pee into a cup. No pressure then!

Vaccinations - the doctor took me to the vaccination nurse's room. She went through my records. I had chickenpox as a child and they accepted that. I had an MMR test last month as my childhood records were thrown out years ago and my doctor wouldn't do the vaccination as he believed me when I said that I'd already had vaccinations for all 3 diseases as a child. However the mumps result came back as "equivocal" which my doctor said showed enough immunity that he wouldn't give me the MMR. But the US Embassy vaccination nurse wasn't satisfied with that so required me to have an MMR vaccination (another £38) as there is no single mumps vaccine available.

I was then moved to a "womens only" waiting room, however given that the barbers' shop in the street below had direct visibility of the room somewhat detracted from the privacy aspect of that!

TB Screening - another room, another doctor / nurse. Xrays taken and I was finally allowed to put my clothes back on.

Went to reception to pay, received the vaccinations form that I need for AOS later on.

A week later I got the drugs and syphillis test results back in the post.

Not a pleasant experience, but the staff were nice, and it is thorough, and means that there should be no surprises when it comes to AOS.