Fit to Fly Letters
Guidance
Fitness to Fly certificates are not part of GMS contractual work and so GPs are under no obligation to issue them. If GP’s do decide to issue a certificate then a charge for non-NHS work can be issued to the patient.
The BMA advises caution when considering undertaking this sort of work as there can be potential medico-legal implications.
- ‘We discourage doctors from signing certificates which indicate that the patient will, for example, be fit for the duration of the holiday, as current fitness is not a guide to future fitness. Doctors can only report on what is written in the patient notes, and reporting on future fitness could have medico-legal consequences for you.’
Fitness to fly assessments can be complex and may require specialist training or knowledge especially when advising around patients with underlying chronic health conditions. GPs are not trained or indemnified to ascertain a patient’s fitness to fly and this does not come under the remit of our General Medical Services contract held by the NHS.
Information that is required in a Fit to Fly Letter should include:
- the nature of the individual’s condition and its severity/stability,
- medication being taken, and
- any pertinent information about mobility.
There are specialist private clinics that can undertake these assessments and provide necessary certificates.
Airline Advice
Most airlines advise that “the expectant mother must provider them with a doctors certificate confirming their stage of pregnancy and that they are fit to fly”.
It should be noted that “doctor” refers to ANY GMC registered doctor, which includes a GP, however it also includes the obstetrician who is involved in the patients care.
Priory Medical Centre position on Fit to Fly Letters
Given the information requested by the airlines, the advice issued by the GMC, BMA and Medical Defence providers and the limited information GP’s hold about a patients pregnancy related medical care, Priory Medical Centre are unable to issue letters/certificates stating patients are ‘fit to fly’. Assessing whether someone can fly calls outside our area of expertise as General Practitioners (GPs).
Your hospital team will be better placed than us to inform your airline of some conditions. Pregnant women may be able to obtain the required paperwork from their obstetrician/midwife team.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority states:
‘Most airlines have medical advisors who advise and clear passengers as fit to fly. The final decision on whether or not to carry a passenger is that of the airline.
For further information, please see the health pages on the UK Civil Aviation Authority website – Health guidelines for air travel | Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk)
