Tb Test

[sierra01]

We've been in the UK just over a week now, rain, wind and bl**dy cold!

This might save some of you a problem at Heathrow. At immigration they asked for my wife's TB certificate, it's on the ship arriving end of June. That meant that she had to have another test at the airport, not a real problem but a bit of a pain after a long journey and another 3 hours still to go. I mentioned the fact that without passing the test in Bangkok there was no way my wife would even be at Heathrow, but it went over their heads, rules is rules!

So, to save yourself some hassle, make sure your misses has the certificate with her.

[rio666uk]

I mentioned the fact that without passing the test in Bangkok there was no way my wife would even be at Heathrow,

My wife didnt have any test at all untill arriving at Heathrow - Once there I asked if it were at all possible to get her XRays done asap in order for us to catch our coach back to Bristol...

All in all I think we were in and out in 30mins max - just the way it goes i guess.

[the gent]

We've been in the UK just over a week now, rain, wind and bl**dy cold!

This might save some of you a problem at Heathrow. At immigration they asked for my wife's TB certificate, it's on the ship arriving end of June. That meant that she had to have another test at the airport, not a real problem but a bit of a pain after a long journey and another 3 hours still to go. I mentioned the fact that without passing the test in Bangkok there was no way my wife would even be at Heathrow, but it went over their heads, rules is rules!

So, to save yourself some hassle, make sure your misses has the certificate with her.

There is absolutely no excuse for this whatsoever. If the officer is ignorant of the roll out program of mandatory TB testing which included Thai nationals, as of 1st December 2005, then his senior officer should be summoned immediately to clarify what is an unwarranted demand. It maybe that the requirement for medical examination is for other matters but for the life of me I cannot think what they could reasonably be looking for without the full testing facilities of an established clinic, something I doubt exists at Heathrow or any other airport.

The so called mandatory requirement that arriving passengers staying longer than 6 months be medically examined by a designated port medical inspector is a bureaucratic farce symptomatic of the chaos afflicting the country generally. If it were that a serious issue then all such passengers would be subject to the requirement but in practice they are not simply because most, if not all, regional airports do not have such a medical examiner present.Thus passengers arriving on connecting flights from the continent are not required to be examined. Begs the question, does it not?Just how important can it be?

Furthermore, how mandatory is it? Are Americans who arguably enjoy a far better health service than the UK, albeit more expensive, also subjected to this medical requirement or is it really not a mandatory requirement at all, as we are led to believe, but is in fact discretionary at the whim of the immigration officer, informed or otherwise?

On a more positive note, I recall from way back that the Scouser highlighted a benefit to being sent to the port medical inspector in that it was a quick route into the family health practitioner service and subsequently registration with the local GP. Clearly of benefit to those arriving for settlement but for the life of me I can't remember for sure. Perhaps he can confirm?

[the scouser]

If the process works according to plan, the Port Medical Inspector (PMI) should forward the names and addresses of the people he sees to the relevant PCTs and they, in turn, should write to the individual inviting them to register with a GP. However, it's not necessary to have this letter in order to register and there's nothing stopping the person concerned doing so of their own volition.

Scouse.

[the gent]

Thank you.

I see the child is progressing well. Is that a football shirt he's wearing? I do hope you are not trying to inculcate scousership. Life can be hard as it is........

[the scouser]

Have you ever wondered why your penis has a knob at the end?

It's so you hand doesn't fall off.

Scouse.