What did your dr do to check you were 'fit to fly'?

[TheMidnightHour]

Asked GP for 'fit to fly' note & was told I had to see the doctor in person (seemed reasonable). Dr did not do any standard checks (e.g. blood pressure, urine dip) nevermind bloods or risk assesment - just asked how I felt (fine) and if I'd been told by midwife not to fly (no, hadn't seen her in 8w as was wk 24 so last appointment at 16w). Did not, afaik even open my notes. Handed me form letter & charged £50.

Had a standard antenatal appointment before actually flying (less than a week after F2F appointment) at which THE SAME dr DID do blood pressure, urine dip and sent me to hospital with suspected pre-eclampsia. Hospital said I didn't have it & later confirmed I could fly but I still missed my flight.

As a result, it's cost an extra £500 to attend the wedding of a close family member and holiday following wedding has had to be cancelled. I don't even want to think about how much money I've wasted - most of it was last minute deals after I got the F2F letter as I didn't want THIS to happen.

AIBU to demand a refund?! Happy to pay in principle, but currently furious - what's the point in a F2F letter if they don't check if you are F2F?!

What checks did your dr do? First pregnancy and new surgery so not sure if my lot are particularly crap or what!

I got a fit to fly letter from my midwife. No charge and no checks. My pregnancy was straight forward and I had no complications.
I can't believe you were charged that's ridiculous!

Can you not claim on travel insurance for the extra costs?

Buttwing thank you for letting me know how it went for you. Odd it's so different.

MissTwister unfortunately, no I can't according to the small print. Even if I could, I'd still like the GP to give me my £50 back!

Buttwing thank you for letting me know how it went for you. Odd it's so different.

MissTwister unfortunately, the travel insurance is going to pay little or nothing of the costs incurred. Even if they'd pay the flights in full, I'd still like the GP to give me my £50 back!

Maybe the symptoms that suggested you had preeclampsia developed after the jnitial GP appt?

How you feel if you were posting from a foreign hospital saying " I had an antenatal appt a few days before I flew and the doc didn't identify that I had pre-eclampsia. Now I am stuck here for x weeks."?

Note only really valid for the day it is written. It is not part of GP contract hence charged for also the appointment time. Sensible Drs would only write something similar to pregnancy so far been uncomplicated, all antenatal checks acceptable can see no reason cannot fly.
Would seem sensible to check hand held notes ask you some questions, possibly dip urine and take BP.

My SIL got 1 last week as she'll be 32 weeks when she flys home. Her midwife signed it for her free of charge. She did this at a routine appt so her bp urine etc was checked then anyway

did you pay by credit card, OP? you might be able to get it back on the credit card even if the travel insurance says no?

I hate insurers. talk about a friend who offers you an umbrella when it's sunny (for a fee) and then takes it back the second it starts to rain...

bike there's no way to know, because the dr didn't check (even though I did take a urine sample as I didn't know what they'd need). I have no complaints about the standard checks, and yes, I'd rather know than not, and cancelled everything that didn't get an OK from the hospital.

BUT if I'd flown out a couple of days earlier, thinking all was OK after getting the note, I would have missed the appointment and wouldn't have found out until I was in a foreign hospital, as per your example. So I really do think they should have checked!

bugsy the note I have says I am fit to fly last week and also mid-June...

I understand why they charge and am happy to pay as long as they actually check what they're saying is true, which I don't feel this dr did. I've had paid-for GP notes before to do sports after injury and the dr charged for their time, and made sure the charge covered the time/materials to do the appropriate tests.

scared Thanks, I'll look into it, although I don't think that applies in this case as the provider (airline) didn't do anything wrong.

Oh well. I did make it to the wedding, which was lovely :) and have a follow up today. Hopefully all will be well.

I paid like £30 for my notice to say I was okay to fly, and not once did i get asked to show this at either airport and I was noticeably pregnant! They basically did a blood pressure and weight check. That was basically it.