lcar

We had our medicals in November and they were sent to CIC in January. I've had a letter today asking for TB testing for my older daughter (aged 12) - the standard tests of sputum on 3 consecutive days and 6-8 weeks culture, followed by a second chest x-ray.
I've spoken to the DMP who saw us in November, who was surprised that further testing has been requested.
He said that he can't take sputum tests, as my daughter is not coughing and has not had a cough at all. Instead, he has referred her to a chest specialist (appointment next Tuesday), for his opinion, who will see the x-ray taken in November, and can refer my daughter for a new one if necessary.
I have searched this subject, and read several threads, and they all seem to say that the CIC instructions have to be followed to the word - ie sputum tests etc.
It looks as if the DMP can't follow the instructions in this instance - has anyone had this experience?

johngrimes

Hi

I had the very same experiance with my 11 year old.(she is staying in the UK with her mother) They said they had found something oh one of her lungs and wanted her to produce sputum samples. We asked our medical people if they could get in touch with the embassy and see if this was really needed as she was not from a high risk location in the UK, (trying to be politically correct) and she was of a young age and it would be hard for her to produce anything as she didn't have TB. We were given the 3 pots and we went about getting her to cough up her load, steam, slaps on back anything to get the stuff!!
We sent the pots back to our medical people who then sent them up to be tested.......then......our medical people got a phone call from the embassy saying that due to her age and no previous history that they didn't want further tests....unfortunatly the pots were already being tested so we had to pay...bugger..but at least we saved the cost of the x-ray!!
The medical people were as surprised as us on the change of mind as they had not know it before. May have been as she wasn't coming ...turns out the results were clear anyway!!

Medical done in Nottingham. August last year. Visas issued November

Regards

John

Siouxie

I was sent for testing for TB after they saw a small spot (calified nodule) on my lungs.. or so they thought. They sent me to see a TB specialist who saw I had no symptoms but had to go through the motions. She sent me to my DMP (who is lovely) who said there was no way to get sputum samples and so she gave me 3 pinprick tests instead (all negative) over several weeks.

I then had to go back to the specialist who sent me for a 2nd xray - which of course showed absolutely nothing there.

I must admit I was furious at the time (and scared) and wish they would have just sent me for a 2nd xray before insisting on the rest of the testing and the specialist appointments (which cost a fortune).

I am sure your daughter will be fine - ask if she can have the skin tests instead, CIC medical division didn't have a problem with me having them, provided they were documented by the DMP and signed by her.

Good luck!

purple80

Both my daughter (13) and I have had to have repeat X rays and sputum testing, we did not have a problem with it, extra $50 each for our x rays and the sputum testing $20 each.

Neither of us have a cough, neither of us are showing any signs of TB.

We had to go back to our original DMP ($50 each), she explained what had come up on previous x rays, I had a calcification on mine and my daughters x ray was not clear. We were able to go to our local lab for the testing (which just involved dropping the three pots off).

To be honest we didn't find any of it a problem, just incredibly annoying as it has slowed our application down...........

We are expecting all of our results to reach our DMP in the next two weeks, we have not had to see specialists here in Canada.

lcar

Thank you all for your replies.
I still don't know what to do, as our DMP is adamant that he can't do sputum tests, and the more I read on here, the more it looks as if CIC will insist on them.
Would saliva tests work? Or should I chase for blood tests instead?
Appointment with the specialist is booked for Tuesday, and he will re-read the x-ray taken in November and can refer her for the repeat.
I'm not too worried about the possibility of her having TB, as she plays ice hockey at quite a high level, and I don't think she would be fit enough to do that if she had TB.
Instead, I'm presuming that it is either a scar on the lung from chicken pox or something, or else maybe a shadow from the angle the x-ray was taken.

purple80

To be honest, we did not even consider arguing with CIC, we just got on and did as we were told.

I don't understand why your DMP says that they cannot do sputum tests, neither our DMP in Richmond Hill or our local lab in Bolton were surprised by the tests. The lab technician at the DMO's office gave us all the pots and instructions, we did not find it too hard to do. Not the nicest, my daughter struggled more with the sputum sample than I did but that was mostly due to having a teenage moment at the same.

Whether or not the test worked is unknown as we are yet to have the results, but I guess that is why they ask for the repeat X ray.

For us there was not too much cost involved and we did not have to see any specialists, I should point that this is in Canada, just wondering if you guys are in the UK?

Our DMP did not think we had anything to worry about, but as she said "CIC pipe the tune and we all do the dance"

lcar

Hi Purple,
Yes we are in the UK. I think our DMP is inexperienced in Canadian cases - he normally deals with Australian immigration. I think I will wait and see what happens on Tuesday with the specialist, and then push for the sputum tests to be done asap, as that will add a 6-8 week delay.
I'm fed up with delays
Thanks for your help.

jericho

Doesnt everyone have the TB vaccine these days?
ISnt there a medical record to show that?

lcar

I don't know about everyone, but my daughter hasn't had it.
A nurse friend told me that they stopped universal vaccination about 7 years ago as they had more or less eradicated TB, but that with high rates of immigration, TB is creeping back, especially in high immigration areas.

lcar

My OH's father had TB, so my OH has guaranteed immunity, and I would have expected that to pass on to our daughter.

purple80

Yes I had the BCG injection when I was in school, not sure what the policy is here in Canada? Will have to ask our Doctor about that one......
Yes there is a medical record of that, but having the injection does not mean that you cannot catch TB, the vaccine is only 70-80% effective., there are also several different strains of TB.

They have stopped routinely vaccinating in the UK, and even if they hadn't my eldest daughter would only have received the injection this year........

joepublic

My apologies in advance if this turns into a rant. Having had a chest infection in the past, I have followed this thread with interest. A couple of years ago, following the said infection, my Army doctor (in Canada) sent me to have a TB sputum test, pulmonary function test and a CT scan. The sputum test came back negative for TB but the CT scan showed calcified nodes in my chest caused by the infection. A year or so later when I arrived back in the UK the Army doctor sent me for another CT scan to make sure nothing had changed. Sure enough, everything was OK and the case was closed. My Army fitness grading remains fully fit and life's good.

So, when I went for my immigration medical I took the liberty of providing the DMP with all the above mentioned documentation in order to avoid the fiasco that other's have been experiencing. As expected, my immigration X-ray came back clear and I obviously thought that would be that.

Imagine my surprise and anger when this morning a letter drops through the door asking for the following:

"Sputum smears and cultures for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, taken on 3 consecutive days and incubated for 6 to 8 weeks, and then repeat chest x-ray (actual report and film required) Posteroanterior on/after: 26 April 2010."

I'm now wondering why I even bothered. What possible need can there be to have the same tests done again? Words fail me.....

For those of you who've gone through this same ridiculousness; can you give me an idea of how much wasted money this is going to cost me?

What the CiC are going to ask for once they see that Amber has Asperger's Syndrome I dread to think. Perhaps the fact that I provided her Educational Psychologists report will mean they'll ask for another one to be done, just to waste a bit more of my time and money!

Rant over (for now)

Joe

lcar

Hi again.
That is exactly the same letter we received joepublic.
My daughter had a half hour appointment with a chest consultant at a private hospital about 7 weeks ago (we would still be waiting in a year and a half if we waited for a NHS appointment) at a cost of £140. At the appointment, the consultant reviewed the chest x-ray that had caused the trouble, and gave his opinion that the small white marks which showed up were an end-on view of blood vessels, showing up as a small round shadow. He agreed that the tests were a waste of time, but pointed out that there really is no way around them - once CIC have set the bar, it has to be jumped.
She was given 3 pots in which she had to spit over 3 consecutive days (no cough, no sputum, so saliva had to do), to be returned to the hospital 3 days later.
We were billed for the tests (cultures over 6-8 weeks), at a cost of £210.
She returns for her follow up appointment with the consultant tomorrow, cost £140 for another half hour appointment. She also has to have her repeat chest x-ray tomorrow before she sees him, cost £90.
That's an awful lot of wasted money from where I'm standing.
Best of luck.
Leanne

fledermaus

No BCGs in Canada except for aboriginal communties. The BCG effectiveness often only lasts a few years anyway and that duration varies considerably. I had a BCG as a child but as I have no scar then noone ever believes that I had one, so I've had several Heaf tests too. Then when I got to Canada and had to have Mantoux tests before I could work in a hospital. These came up positive and so I had to see medics and persuade them that I had had all these TB tests in the past and that was the likely reason for a positive result.

On top of that there are completely different approaches to TB in the two countries and it's all very confusing.

G77

Whilst we're on the subject, when we enrolled our son for JK, they said that he needs to have a TB test? I presume that's because we're immigrants? Britain isn't exactly rife with TB now is it?