Thread: The letter about a renewed FAL comes to his GP.

Originally Posted by Doghead

I had an interesting discussion with my doctor regarding "suitability to hold licence" - and the practice had a check list that they filled out and totalled up the points, and I came up as high risk.

I challenged this, and he showed my the check list (top marks they were being consistent to all), basically I gained to many points becuase I was 1) a male 2) Single 3) had speeding offences - this tipped me to high risk. Thank goodness I hadnt been in for a consultation on depression.

He did at least accept my reasoning and accept they needed to look at the process, but - I mean WTF - it took me to point this out, that half the population were being penalised. I was a little offended that I and half the poulation were being stereotyped in this way.

Bottom line is, fit and proper and you'll get a FAL.

Risk assessment is a house of cards, a good lawyer can pick it to bits by asking a few questions. It comes down to that no-one is "no-risk", at the best you are "low-risk", or "average risk". But a good cop, if concerned at all, will do the right thing and pull the pin on a license ... thereby passing that headache on to the court to make the final decision. Safety first and cover your butt first.

Drs are in no position to make a full risk assessment as they don't have your criminal record or police intel on your gang connections, nor do they interview your boss, etc. All they are is a third referee (grammar?) and they would naturally prefer not to have to be the person that blocked someone from getting a FAL (or driving license).

But @tac a1, GPs are able to do a mental health assessment and do those every working day. We're allowed to, actually we are *required* to, inform if there is someone out there that we have serious safety concerns over, whether a pilot or a FAL holder. But like I said, we deal with real people that we know and we would not make such a call lightly, it would have to be way out there.