My London Medical

Old Jun 15th 2010, 10:14 pm
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Default My London Medical

Hi everyone

I just thought I'd share my experience of the London medical I had today...

My appointment was at the Bentinck Mansions location at 12.50 p.m. and I showed up at 11.25 a.m. (not being familiar with the area and having travelled from Leeds, not wanting to be running late and even more stressed out!). I thought I might be lucky and get seen early, but they were closing for lunch and I was told to come back at 12.45. No problem, but I thought this might be useful information for other people with appointment times around lunch time! I found a Costa coffee not too far away and spent the time in there, with a lemonade

When I went back I showed them my passport and gave them my completed medical questionnaire from the website and my vaccination records, then filled in the questionnaire they gave me (much the same as the one you have to take with you) and waited to be called by someone. It wasn't long until I was called by a nurse, who went through my vaccination history and determined I needed to have the MMR jab. I mistakenly thought that because I had it done when I was about 11, I didn't need it so I hadn't asked the nurse at my GP practice about it. It turns out you're meant to have a booster in your late teens, which I never knew about, so I had the jab done there and then (an extra £35 on top of the £200 fee for the medical itself). After this I went back to the main waiting room, and shortly after I was called in for my chest x-ray. That was fine, although I didn't ask to see it! Then I was sent to another waiting room, still wearing the lovely attractive gown (!) to wait for the doctor to call me in.

I think I waited maybe 15-20 minutes (I kind of lost track of time, to be honest, but it wasn't a really long time). The doctor was a really nice lady, who tried her best to put me at ease (not very successfully, unfortunately!). She asked me about my medical history and went through the questionnaire I'd filled in, and then she took my height and weight measurements. She had me do an eye exam (cover one eye and read the letters off the board, then the same with the other eye but read the letters in reverse, nothing too difficult). She also shone a light in my eyes, checked my ears and listened to my chest. She took my pulse and my blood pressure. I knew my BP would be high, because I was really stressed out! Lo and behold, it was. At first she said it was borderline high, so I thought that might be OK, but no. *sigh* She took it a few times, and I'm sure it was rising each time, the more I thought about it! Aaargh! She decided to leave it a while and do the other things she needed to do, like the blood test and general examination (she prodded my tummy a bit, had a quick look down below and that was about it).

[A note about the blood test: apparently they only test for syphilis - they don't test for HIV unless they have a reason to. That surprised me, I thought they would test for HIV as well. The doctor said they don't anymore, so that must've changed recently.]

She let me get dressed and then tried taking my BP again - she still wasn't really satisfied, and I think I'd got myself even more worked up about it. She gave me the option of going back to the waiting room and waiting a while to have it checked again, or going to my GP to have it checked and then fax them the results. I decided to wait - I thought it'd be better than worrying about it for a few more days! I drank some water and read a bit of my book, then was called by a nurse (a different one to the one who went through my vaccination stuff) and when she checked it, it was fine. I think I must have white coat syndrome! Funny, because I work in a hospital, so you'd think I'd know better!

I then paid my £235, and was given a copy of the vaccination checklist the doctor had done (they send a copy to the embassy, but you're supposed to take your copy with you to the US apparently). I also got a record of my MMR vaccine which needs to be kept safe too. They said the results from the medical should be back on Friday and they'd be sent to the Embassy, and I won't be contacted unless there's a problem with my results.

All in all the experience was fine, I was just stressed out by it all. It probably didn't help that I'd travelled for 3 hours from Leeds to London (we got held up near Stevenage) and I don't really like travelling on the underground! The people were all friendly, the place was fairly easy to find (I did ask someone for directions though!) and the whole thing was over by 2.30 p.m. (so I was in there for about 1 hour 45 minutes, including the time waiting for my BP to lower itself!).

I just thought this might give other people an idea of what to expect - it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I was expecting it to be

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Old Jun 16th 2010, 3:34 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Thanks for this ! really helps I hope to have mine in the near future

Last edited by Noorah101; Jun 16th 2010 at 3:39 pm. Reason: removed long quoted material for easier reading
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Old Jun 17th 2010, 11:52 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Nice summary Random,
I had my medical back in March and was dreading the whole thing. I am not a fan of doctors or hospitals at the best of times so I was particularly nervous.
Anyway, as you say, everyone was efficient and polite and made the experience as comfortable as is possible. This is especially true given that on listening to my chest the Doc picked up that I have a heart murmur. She asked if I had a history of heart problems, which i did not. (I am 41 years of age and was still giving kids half my age the runaround on the football field)
On finding this problem I was given a letter to take to my GP. Cutting a story short I saw a cardiologist privately and was diagnosed with a heart valve problem which will eventually need surgery.
These results were sent to the Embassy Doctors and after a further letter from my cardiologist my medical was passed and sent on to the Embassy.
In the meantime (April 23rd) I had been for my interview at the Embassy and given the blue "application suspended" form. No soon as the medical was received I got a letter from the Embassy requesting my passport and within a week I got my Visa package back.
Suppose what I am saying is, even if there are problems, the whole thing is dealt with professionally and promptly and really isn't much to worry about.
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Old Jun 17th 2010, 4:26 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by randomgirl
[A note about the blood test: apparently they only test for syphilis - they don't test for HIV unless they have a reason to. That surprised me, I thought they would test for HIV as well. The doctor said they don't anymore, so that must've changed recently.]
Yes, it changed earlier this year.
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Old Jun 17th 2010, 7:32 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by fromthemanorborn
Nice summary Random,
I had my medical back in March and was dreading the whole thing. I am not a fan of doctors or hospitals at the best of times so I was particularly nervous.
Anyway, as you say, everyone was efficient and polite and made the experience as comfortable as is possible. This is especially true given that on listening to my chest the Doc picked up that I have a heart murmur. She asked if I had a history of heart problems, which i did not. (I am 41 years of age and was still giving kids half my age the runaround on the football field)
On finding this problem I was given a letter to take to my GP. Cutting a story short I saw a cardiologist privately and was diagnosed with a heart valve problem which will eventually need surgery.
These results were sent to the Embassy Doctors and after a further letter from my cardiologist my medical was passed and sent on to the Embassy.
In the meantime (April 23rd) I had been for my interview at the Embassy and given the blue "application suspended" form. No soon as the medical was received I got a letter from the Embassy requesting my passport and within a week I got my Visa package back.
Suppose what I am saying is, even if there are problems, the whole thing is dealt with professionally and promptly and really isn't much to worry about.
I'm glad it all worked out for you OK! It's not something you want to hear, but at least it hasn't stopped you from getting your visa

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Old Jun 18th 2010, 10:04 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by randomgirl
I'm glad it all worked out for you OK! It's not something you want to hear, but at least it hasn't stopped you from getting your visa

Indeed. My wife actually says she has saved my life because if I hadn't met her I wouldn't have gone through immigration process, no immigration would have meant no medical, and no medical means heart problem goes undetected.
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Old Jun 18th 2010, 7:02 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by fromthemanorborn
Indeed. My wife actually says she has saved my life because if I hadn't met her I wouldn't have gone through immigration process, no immigration would have meant no medical, and no medical means heart problem goes undetected.

Possibly! Although you would probably have developed some symptoms down the line... best not tell your wife that, though!

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Old Jun 20th 2010, 8:21 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Nice write up... pretty much the same standard scenario for the medical. Did you have a tetnes jab also???
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Old Jun 20th 2010, 8:34 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by EddieIp
Nice write up... pretty much the same standard scenario for the medical. Did you have a tetnes jab also???
Thanks

I was up-to-date with tetanus and everything else, it was just the MMR jab I had to have. Thank goodness, because it was expensive enough with just having one vaccine there!

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Old Jun 20th 2010, 10:08 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Hey thanks for this.

I have one of these lined up soon, should be fun! I have to say, having read the 'what to expect at the medical document, i'm really looking forward to having my 'external genitalia' examined Oh well, could be worse, they could have administered the infamous 'cough and drop'.
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Old Jun 20th 2010, 1:43 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by HumphreyC
: i'm really looking forward to having my 'external genitalia' examined
Sorry to disappoint you HumphreyC, but the Doctor didn't examine mine. I think it might have taken too long.
Seriously, the only explanation I have is that I saw a female Doctor, although where immigration is concerned I kinda doubt it. Maybe she just forgot.
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Old Jun 20th 2010, 9:10 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by fromthemanorborn
Sorry to disappoint you HumphreyC, but the Doctor didn't examine mine. I think it might have taken too long.
Seriously, the only explanation I have is that I saw a female Doctor, although where immigration is concerned I kinda doubt it. Maybe she just forgot.
Knowing my luck there will be nurse on hand to perform the 'inspection' and a bunch of medical students there to observe. Oh well, I should count my blessings, at least there is no anal probe; unless you get that at the actual embassy interview.
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Old Jun 20th 2010, 10:10 pm
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Default Re: My London Medical

Anal probe????? They save that for when you get to the POE lol!!!

I didn't get me bits examined either, like Manorborn, I suspect it's because I had a male Dr. and they can't be arsed to get an attendant of the opposite sex to sit in or something. Either that or they recognised that my saggy lady bits couldn't be false - no sane person would pay for such shoddy plastic surgery!
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Old Jun 21st 2010, 12:24 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Thanks for posting this randomgirl, very useful information to know. BTW, how long before your interview are you required to have the medical? And are you told which doctor you have to go to, or is there a list that you can choose from? Thanks!
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Old Jun 21st 2010, 12:50 am
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Default Re: My London Medical

Originally Posted by Sweetscottishchick
Thanks for posting this randomgirl, very useful information to know. BTW, how long before your interview are you required to have the medical? And are you told which doctor you have to go to, or is there a list that you can choose from? Thanks!
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/K1_Lon...al_Examination
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