Doctor's note for foreign sportive

topcattim

I'm doing a sportive in the Italian Alps in a few weeks, for which I need to provide a doctor's note. In the past, I've just had a quick appointment with a doctor from my local surgery (not usually my own registered GP), who then signed the certificate that I've downloaded from the sportive's website. This year, after two weeks of umming and aahing, they have come back to me and said that I need to make an appointment with doctor who again is not my GP (fair enough) for an assessment (fair enough, although I don't know how detailed this will be) and that this will cost me £120. I don't have a problem with paying for what is essentially NHS time, but this is rather steep. Does anybody know of a cheaper alternative?

bernithebiker

French GPs do this all the time and will charge you a standard visit of 23 Euros.

dabber

I needed one for a French sportive last year. My French buddy provided me me with correct wording for the letter and I arranged a checkover with my GP. Cost £25. The surgery provided me with a suitably stamped letter in French and I had no problems with the sportive organisers at check in.

anjasola

Fake one, that is what lots of people do.

ugo.santalucia

It's very annoying... next year I'd like to do the Eroica in Tuscany once again, but they not only want a medical certificate, they now want a medical for competitive sport, which basically includes ECG and all that stuff... it has put me off completely, given the cost and hassle involved... the event is not even competitive, it's not even timed, so I really don't get what the fuss is all about.

Luckily there is an Eroica in the Rioja hills in Spain to, where they don't bother...

bernithebiker

ugo.santalucia wrote:

It's very annoying... next year I'd like to do the Eroica in Tuscany once again, but they not only want a medical certificate, they now want a medical for competitive sport, which basically includes ECG and all that stuff... it has put me off completely, given the cost and hassle involved... the event is not even competitive, it's not even timed, so I really don't get what the fuss is all about.

Luckily there is an Eroica in the Rioja hills in Spain to, where they don't bother...

The whole things a complete farce anyway. My old doctor used to just change the date on my certificate each year when I poked my head round the door.

Most 'examinations' consist of a) visual check (are you morbidly obese, etc.) b) blood pressure check, c) do 10 squats. If you have a dodgy heart no one's going to find out anyway....

topcattim

bernithebiker wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

It's very annoying... next year I'd like to do the Eroica in Tuscany once again, but they not only want a medical certificate, they now want a medical for competitive sport, which basically includes ECG and all that stuff... it has put me off completely, given the cost and hassle involved... the event is not even competitive, it's not even timed, so I really don't get what the fuss is all about.

Luckily there is an Eroica in the Rioja hills in Spain to, where they don't bother...

The whole things a complete farce anyway. My old doctor used to just change the date on my certificate each year when I poked my head round the door.

Most 'examinations' consist of a) visual check (are you morbidly obese, etc.) b) blood pressure check, c) do 10 squats. If you have a dodgy heart no one's going to find out anyway....

I agree. If I'm going to have to pay £120, then I'm going to want a full heart trace, blood analysis etc. Somehow I suspect it might be closer to a quick BP cuff and a "Are you going to be able to do it?" conversation. Again, I don't object to paying for this, given that its not really a NHS priority (although some might argue that they should be encouraging me to stay fit!), but £120 really does seem a lot of money, unless I'm getting the full five star treatment.

mamba80

topcattim wrote:

I'm doing a sportive in the Italian Alps in a few weeks, for which I need to provide a doctor's note. In the past, I've just had a quick appointment with a doctor from my local surgery (not usually my own registered GP), who then signed the certificate that I've downloaded from the sportive's website. This year, after two weeks of umming and aahing, they have come back to me and said that I need to make an appointment with doctor who again is not my GP (fair enough) for an assessment (fair enough, although I don't know how detailed this will be) and that this will cost me £120. I don't have a problem with paying for what is essentially NHS time, but this is rather steep. Does anybody know of a cheaper alternative?

If its the one i think your talking about - Maratona - just get a BC silver race licence c/w uci number, you get the 3rd party ins for uk riding around and accident advice plus the over seas cover you are after for £72 less if you pay DD and then cancel it.

topcattim

mamba80 wrote:

topcattim wrote:

I'm doing a sportive in the Italian Alps in a few weeks, for which I need to provide a doctor's note. In the past, I've just had a quick appointment with a doctor from my local surgery (not usually my own registered GP), who then signed the certificate that I've downloaded from the sportive's website. This year, after two weeks of umming and aahing, they have come back to me and said that I need to make an appointment with doctor who again is not my GP (fair enough) for an assessment (fair enough, although I don't know how detailed this will be) and that this will cost me £120. I don't have a problem with paying for what is essentially NHS time, but this is rather steep. Does anybody know of a cheaper alternative?

If its the one i think your talking about - Maratona - just get a BC silver race licence c/w uci number, you get the 3rd party ins for uk riding around and accident advice plus the over seas cover you are after for £72 less if you pay DD and then cancel it.

Mamba, its the Granfondo Stelvio. They're quite specific about the certificate saying that you need it unless you have an FCI licence. But your message made me look again and they are more flexible about the day licence for insurance, saying that if I have a licence from another recongnised association (which BC clearly is!) then that is ok for the insurance/day licence. So you've prompted me to ask whether the same might apply for the medical certificate. Fingers crossed.

anjasola

Having a UK full race licence does not now exempt you from having to produce a medical certificate for events in Europe.

topcattim

anjasola wrote:

Having a UK full race licence does not now exempt you from having to produce a medical certificate for events in Europe.

Thanks anjasola. That's what I feared

anjasola

topcattim wrote:

anjasola wrote:

Having a UK full race licence does not now exempt you from having to produce a medical certificate for events in Europe.

Thanks anjasola. That's what I feared

As I said before lots of people fake medical certificates

dilatory

bernithebiker wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

c) do 10 squats.

Cripes, Sportives are getting more hardcore every year!

robbo2011

You guys are lucky. When I entered the Maratona a few years ago, I had to pay around CHF 350 (£240) for a doctor's certificate here in Switzerland.

Next time I will fake one.

jgsi

Can someone put a fake up on a file share please?
;-)
These weird and wonderful foreign sportives are beginning to tempt me...

term1te

robbo2011 wrote:

You guys are lucky. When I entered the Maratona a few years ago, I had to pay around CHF 350 (£240) for a doctor's certificate here in Switzerland.

Next time I will fake one.

This is what I'm fearing, needing a stamp from a doctor for the same event as Topcattim. I'm hoping my works doctor will sign/stamp it for me, I have an appointment for next week. The old company doc did 5 or 6 years ago when I needed one for the Marotte. However he did ask if I took performance enhancing drugs, took another look at me and decided I didn't.

Probably all down to liability insurance. I haven't come across an event in Switzerland that needs one yet? The Tour du Leman this weekend certainly doesn't.

term1te

That said, I caught the end of a programme on Radio Five about sudden cardiac death in sport. So it is probably worth getting a check up now and again.

bernithebiker

Term1te wrote:

However he did ask if I took performance enhancing drugs, took another look at me and decided I didn't.

That's a bit like when US customs ask you 'Are you a terrorist or ever been engaged in terrorist activities?' !!

mamba80

topcattim wrote:

anjasola wrote:

Having a UK full race licence does not now exempt you from having to produce a medical certificate for events in Europe.

Thanks anjasola. That's what I feared

Not true, several euro sportives will accept a full uci licence INCLUDING the Stelvio, its one i intend to do next year, so i emailed them today and this is the reply.....
(note you need silver minimum, as bronze does not have a uci number)

"Certainly, if you are in possession of a license UCI you are ok.
If you turn kindly copy of your membership card, i provider enter your the data"
Best Regards
Serena

2015-05-21 10:38 GMT+02:00 Andy <xxxxxxxxxxx@btinternet.com>:

Hi
Can I use my full UCI numbered british cycling race licence instead of a medical certificate for the event?

Med certificate is very expensive.

Thank you

Andrew.

phreak

I got one from my GP today, and it was £10. She basically took my blood pressure, checked for heart murmurs and asked one or two questions about activity levels etc.

jimmurray

http://www.cyclosportmedicalcertificates.co.uk/en/

topcattim

jimmurray wrote:

http://www.cyclosportmedicalcertificates.co.uk/en/

Ooh, that's helpful, thanks Jim.

As it happens, I thought it worth trying again with the organisers, and I sent them a copy of my BC Silver full licence - and they said it was fine

£120 (or £65 if I'd used Jim's lead) saved.

Thanks for all the advice.

SoSimple

Also doing the Granfondo Stelvio and my surgery called me to say the form specifically asks for the certificate to be completed following an examination - for £90.

Told her I'd just had a full health screen paid for by work and they've been sent a 25 page report to log on their system and she still wouldnt budge - talk about jobsworth.

Four other guys all doing it just got their doctor to sign it for a small fee and no exam.

Lets just say I'm sorted now with no additional costs incurred....

topcattim

SoSimple wrote:

Also doing the Granfondo Stelvio and my surgery called me to say the form specifically asks for the certificate to be completed following an examination - for £90.

Told her I'd just had a full health screen paid for by work and they've been sent a 25 page report to log on their system and she still wouldnt budge - talk about jobsworth.

Four other guys all doing it just got their doctor to sign it for a small fee and no exam.

Lets just say I'm sorted now with no additional costs incurred....

My fear about the "no additional costs incurred" option is that, in the event of an accident, wouldn't that invalidate any insurance?

itboffin

for the marmotte i downloaded the form then took it to my GP who rubber stamped it and sent me on my way, no cost so where the hell is the OPs GP coming up with £120?

which NHS service is that then?

fatdaz

I did the Etape last year with 3 other guys - I paid my GP to do mine, they all faked theirs

topcattim

itboffin wrote:

for the marmotte i downloaded the form then took it to my GP who rubber stamped it and sent me on my way, no cost so where the hell is the OPs GP coming up with £120?

which NHS service is that then?

My local GP practice. I agree, it's an obscene charge. They are either trying to price themselves out of the market, or hugely arrogant, or perhaps they were going to give me a full-on examination. Whatever, I took much pleasure in telling them I could have got the same service much cheaper elsewhere and that I wouldn't be using them.

Barbarossa

When I was living in Italy, I had to have a medical each year to renew my licence. Off to the (private) Ambulatorio Medicina Sportiva for a check up - 30 minute consultation, eyesight, BP, lung capacity, ECG resting, 10 minute ramp to above threshold and another ECG, drugs test! and all for about €50. The same applied whether you were cycling, running or playing Sunday league football. The doctor who did the tests was a sports medicine specialist, in 2011, he was very proud to tell me that he was off to the London Olympics in 2012 to officiate.

Medical certificates are what the Italian organisers expect of local entrants. Pity our NHS doesn't understand.

robbo2011

topcattim wrote:

Whatever, I took much pleasure in telling them I could have got the same service much cheaper elsewhere and that I wouldn't be using them.

They were probably quite glad that you told them this. From their point of view, the last thing they want to be doing is spending time and resources on healthy people.

topcattim

robbo2011 wrote:

topcattim wrote:

Whatever, I took much pleasure in telling them I could have got the same service much cheaper elsewhere and that I wouldn't be using them.

They were probably quite glad that you told them this. From their point of view, the last thing they want to be doing is spending time and resources on healthy people.

Yes, that thought crossed my mind too! What struck me as peculiar though was the vast difference in cost/attitude both between my current surgery and what they used to do, and also between their cost and that of lots of other surgeries.

mamba80

Barbarossa wrote:

When I was living in Italy, I had to have a medical each year to renew my licence. Off to the (private) Ambulatorio Medicina Sportiva for a check up - 30 minute consultation, eyesight, BP, lung capacity, ECG resting, 10 minute ramp to above threshold and another ECG, drugs test! and all for about €50. The same applied whether you were cycling, running or playing Sunday league football. The doctor who did the tests was a sports medicine specialist, in 2011, he was very proud to tell me that he was off to the London Olympics in 2012 to officiate.

Medical certificates are what the Italian organisers expect of local entrants. Pity our NHS doesn't understand.

Assume you can afford to enter, travel, stay in hotel and the bike to ride it ? in other words your not skint, so why should an over stretched NHS provide subsidised health screening for your hobby? it takes 2 weeks to get a non emg GP appt, down here.