Dive medical, how much do you pay?

[Yazzyfooty]

I still get emails from my old BSAC club and I was shocked to find that members now have to pay up to £95 for a medical which has to include an ECG and full blood test.

Considering that we never had a doctor for a few of years and people were self certifcating they were fit to dive and as far as I know there has been no incidents with our own club members I dont understand the shift.

Does everyone have a dive medical certificate and if you do have one how much do you pay?

[TerryH]

Nope it's self-cert, has been for years, but that doesnt mean the odd club
cant make its own stipulation. Not saying that's what's happened here, but
it would only take one close call with a member, to spook a club into getting
medicals.

[Roz]

£95 with an ECG and Blood Test sounds as though it's pretty much an HSE Diving Medical to me. My last (HSE) medical cost £100 odd. It's worth noting that unfortunately not many GP's, or A&E professionals have a great understanding of Diving Medicine. I think their training is about half a day in a three year course?

[Nigel Hewitt]

I pay £50 a year (e-med) including an ECG because, after two heart attacks, I need a medical every year. By the time I've taken a day off to do it and a trip into town I'll bet it costs me more than £95.

[DarrenA]

My wife paid £90 local GP (requirement for DSAT Course to have a med cert).

We could have paid a lot cheaper in resport (€20 was quoted) but she wanted it sorted before we leave.

GP did a complete thorough job apparently (although I dont know off the top of my head the detail).

[Adrian Kelland]

I've paid the sum required by the UKSDMC for the self-cert form to be signed off by a referee. I've not needed a full medical as a requirement of that sign-off.

[Mike Halligan]

Nope it's self-cert, has been for years, but that doesnt mean the odd club
cant make its own stipulation. Not saying that's what's happened here, but
it would only take one close call with a member, to spook a club into getting
medicals.

True, and it is also possible that the worst case is the one driving the e-mails.

It is perfectly truthful to say that members are paying £95 if 2 of them are. How easy is it then to imply that everyone may/ should/ must also pay £95?

Like Adrian, I pay the standard fee to a referee for endorsement of my GP's control - £10 last year.
Hope this helps,

[Edward]

Nope it's self-cert, has been for years, but that doesnt mean the odd club
cant make its own stipulation. Not saying that's what's happened here, but
it would only take one close call with a member, to spook a club into getting
medicals.

Not quite.

Medical in addition to Self Cert - OK, for example diving in Spain
Medical in place of Self Cert - Not in accordance with BSAC guidance, may or may not have insurance implications (Branch Committee liability).

Regards

Edward

[Ben Panter]

I still get emails from my old BSAC club and I was shocked to find that members now have to pay up to £95 for a medical which has to include an ECG and full blood test.

Considering that we never had a doctor for a few of years and people were self certifcating they were fit to dive and as far as I know there has been no incidents with our own club members I dont understand the shift.

Does everyone have a dive medical certificate and if you do have one how much do you pay?

I have one to comply with the UKSDMC form, £12 I think for a telephone interview and sign off in perpetuity.

Ben

[Yazzyfooty]

I contacted the club secretary to express my views regarding the costs and also to ask why the medical is being brought back when there has not been any incidents with club members regarding health related diving issues. There have been diving issues but that's a different matter!

It seems that it is stipulated in the club's constitution but when the local GP retired a few years ago (he charged £25) the club said it was ok to self certificate and we did for that time. So it is obvious the constitution can be flexible.

I think with the costs of annual membership plus this extra charge and with people having to be careful with their money during this recession I fear more people wont bother renewing their membership and will choose to dive outside the club, is this the early sounds of the death knoll of a club?

[PeteM]

I contacted the club secretary to express my views regarding the costs and also to ask why the medical is being brought back when there has not been any incidents with club members regarding health related diving issues. There have been diving issues but that's a different matter!

It seems that it is stipulated in the club's constitution but when the local GP retired a few years ago (he charged £25) the club said it was ok to self certificate and we did for that time. So it is obvious the constitution can be flexible.

I think with the costs of annual membership plus this extra charge and with people having to be careful with their money during this recession I fear more people wont bother renewing their membership and will choose to dive outside the club, is this the early sounds of the death knoll of a club?

If they have been flexible about it in the past it can not worry them too much, so logically the solution is to change the constitution.

[ChristianG]

Although, unlike Nigel, I have yet to have a heart attack, I am elderly and therefore I have a medical with a hyperbaric medicine specialist every two years. This includes spirometry, an ECG (in my case, given my age) and a bunch of other things - including standing for one minute on either leg with eyes blindfolded - try it - it's not easy.

I forget how much it costs me here in Oz but it's not money where I get any form of refund.

Then again, how much is your life worth to you? More importantly, how much is it worth to you not to create danger (well, as best you can) to anyone else, including your buddy?

I do acknowledge that not everyone has the same requirements as Nigel and myself.