PERFORMING MEDICALS IN THE ERA OF COVID RESTRICTIONS

Since closing our clinics on 24 March 2020 we have been closely monitoring the advice and instruction from the relevant authorities. We re-opened our clinics on the 1st June 2020 after ensuring our clinics and practices were COVID-secure.

We remained open during the November lockdown, all the while following Government and CAA guidance. During this period we did not examine leisure pilots in line with CAA guidance. We also followed the rules and remained open with the introduction of the tier system of restrictions. What is and isn’t permitted under this system has been published by the UK Government.

We have kept our COVID-19 risk assessment under constant review to give confidence to our staff and clients.

We have strengthened biosecurity at our clinics with adjustments to our practice, including spreading our appointments over a greater period of time to ensure social distancing is respected as much as possible and practicable.

We encourage applicants, where possible, to attend appointments unaccompanied. When arriving by private car, accompanying friends or relatives should wait in the car during the medical. Our staff wear PPE including face masks including in situations where social distancing is neither possible nor practicable, for example during any examination. Exceptionally, staff who are exempt a face mask on medical grounds in line with Government guidance may not wear one.

Applicants should attend appointments wearing a removable facial covering.

We will not see any applicant who has symptoms of COVID-19, or who has been in contact with a someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the 10 days before their appointment, or who is in a period of recommended self-isolation at the time of their medical appointment with us.

Applicants will need to agree to these terms at the time of the booking and a further reminder will be sent to them by email 24hrs before their appointment.

Alcohol sanitiser stations are present in the corridors and in every room, and applicants are encouraged to use it freely.

Our assessment of the risk will remain dynamic to reflect the changing situation.

cAA cOVID GUIDANCE FOR COMMERCIAL AND GENERAL AVIATION

The CAA has published a suite of documents in response to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak.

For full details, please see the CAA’s COVID-19 guidance for commercial and general aviation.

dISCLAIMER

We will not be liable for any expenses incurred by an applicant if we are unable to carry out their medical due to any COVID-related reason, whether direct or indirect. An example could be due to staff illness or self-isolation.

We will obviously endeavour to contact applicants as soon as possible to advise them of any issues relating to their appointment.