Medical Firearm verification - BASC

[andy1979]

Not saying i'm happy with it but ultimately we have very little power as an individual if your GP refuses to play ball and the Police insist on a medical certificate.

I'm getting ready to apply for my FAC & SGC first Grant I've a declarable condition in my medical past.
I've already been to visit my GP to tell them that i'm applying for my firearms certificate and would they have any objections to providing clearance to the police.

The response from my GP was "we don't do non NHS work here"

Now if West Midlands Police are one of the forces that make the rules up as they go along (I've absolutely no idea what they are like) and they insist on a medical certificate then i'm left with no alternative but to pay for a private certificate to be issued to West Midlands Police.

I don't agree with it and i'd rather not pay for it but if I want my certificates issued then I've no alternative

[dromia]

That is different from agreeing with BASC's stance on the matter.

[Pete]

What Blackstuff said........... I've done quite a few variations/acquisitions just filling in my GP details and ticking the box, and I've never yet had a comeback.

From what others are saying, it sounds like there's an element of postcode lottery about it all.

Pete

[andy1979]

From what I'm read on here the whole certification process is a postcode lottery.

There doesn't seem to be a joined up cohesive approach by the police forces and they all seem to have their own interpretation of the home office guidelines which obviously leads to confusion and anger among shooters.

[dromia]

I think the discrepancies 'tween forces is more design than accident and they are just exploiting the divisiveness inherent in shooting as is exasperated by our failed vested interest only "national" organisations that pretend to be supporting legal gun ownership in Britain but are only shafting us for our membership fees.

[andy1979]

yeah they don't seem to be applying any pressure to address the hit and miss enforcement the guidelines.

I joined BASC mainly because my Boss is a member and he said i'll need insurance for shooting activities so i just followed his advice but the more i read about them the more I see they offer nothing to the everyday shooter for the membership fee other than insurance.

[MistAgain]

Dammed if they do , and Dammed because they dont .

BASC asked the opinion of a Queen’s Counsel if the police stance could be subject to Judicial Review (JR). His advice was that sections 27 & 28 of the Firearms Act afforded chief officers very wide discretion in how they conducted their decision making, so a JR was not an option

So the BASC's only real option is to back a shooter who cannot or will not get a doctors medical declaration . This could be costly and no doubt many BASC members would be up in arms about it .

Unless of course the BASC declares war on the medical profesion .

Do you want a drug taking , fraudster , alcoholic , sexual predator with mental health problems to know you have firearms and to certify that you are a fit person to own them ?

[Sim G]

Do you want a drug taking , fraudster , alcoholic , sexual predator with mental health problems to know you have firearms and to certify that you are a fit person to own them ?

/\ THIS!!!!

[Polchraine]

Do you want a drug taking , fraudster , alcoholic , sexual predator with mental health problems to know you have firearms and to certify that you are a fit person to own them ?

That is NOT the issue. It is the fact that they want to charge for providing the information even though we are already paying them six figure salaries. Do they charge for signing a form to "section" a mentally ill patient? No. And there are lots of other services that they provide FOC so why not the FAC/SGC reference?

The police get a reasonable sum that covers their full costs - a GP would charge £50, which is not much less, for 10 minutes work. I would love to get £300 per hour, or even £50.

[dromia]

If you are a club member then their insurance covers you for shooting on their ranges, if you are shooting have land/livequarry permissions then you will need your own insurance but there are many cheaper options than BASC, look at the various game keepers associations for example.