BREXIT & EASA/EU MEDICALS

FROM 1 JANUARY 2021, WE ARE AUTHORISED TO PERFORM EASA/EU MEDICALS

On 1 January 2021 EU aviation safety legislation, including Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 establishing EASA, will cease to apply to the UK. As of that date the UK will be considered as a third country and will no longer have the status of an ‘EASA Member State’.

This means that from 1 January 2021, UK-certificated AMEs must be approved and authorised by an EASA Member State to be able to undertake EASA/EU medicals. We are pleased to report that we have received such approval, and we are authorised to continue to perform all classes of EASA/EU medicals post-Brexit.

COVID-19 Update

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.

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.

The impact of COVID-19 on our ability to undertake medicals

Following the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on 23 March 2020 during which he announced a nationwide ban on people leaving their homes, except for essential work, we took the decision to cancel all our medical appointments until further notice.

We set about contacting each and every pilot, ATCO and cabin crew applicant individually to explain our decision and we were very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive response received.

“We took the decision to cancel all our medical appointments until further notice…”

The CAA, in line with EASA guidance, published its Official Records Series 4 No.1534 General Exemption E5026 document which, subject to the conditions of the document, effectively extends the medical of the pilot or ATCO until 22 November 2020 where the pilot or ATCO cannot access a medical appointment due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The pilot/ ATCO simply needs to print this document and carry it with their expired medical certificate.

For those who hold licences issued by other National Aviation Authorities, there are similar schemes and we urge you to contact your airline or aviation authority for details of their scheme.

We will continue to undertake medical casework behind the scenes in support of the aeromedical certification of our pilots and ATCOs.

For those who cannot take advantage of the medical exemption scheme for one reason or the other but absolutely need a medical certificate to perform a key employment function, please get in touch so we can see how we can help .

We cannot justify undertaking initial class 1 or 3 medicals at present but will endeavour to see those already booked in as soon as possible once restrictions are eased.

We thank all of you for understanding, hope you stay safe and look forward to seeing you in the very near future.