Doctors Ditched by Home Office

[joebloggs]

http://freemovement.wordpress.com/20...y-home-office/


http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si...xa?view=Binary


i missed this in dec 2010, but pasted here for a
might cause problems for a few people who dont have any suitable references when applying for citizenship etc but had a docotor willing to act as as reference

A doctor ‘is no longer considered an acceptable professional person’ by the Home Office. The quotation is taken directly from an email from a policy adviser in the UKBA Nationality Group.

Doctors were quietly dropped from mention in the application form for British citizenship and removed from the UKBA list of acceptable professional persons at Annex A to Chapter 6 of the Nationality Instructions.

I know the Home Office has little time for medical experts and does everything it can to impugn the reputation of any doctor who writes reports in the immigration tribunal but, really, this seems a little much! I cannot help noting that doctors are nevertheless considered suitably responsible to diagnose illness and disease, administer drugs and prescribe treatment, generally to make life and death decisions and, apparently, to administer the entire NHS budget, if Government plans become reality.

Civil servants are still on the list, I see. As are dentists. And nurses. And opticians. Bizarrely, Members of Parliament have been left on the list, though, which is surely some sort of mistake.

One has to wonder why UKBA has taken this step and whether the General Medical Council was consulted about its professional downgrading.

[KeithD]

Over to the Doc who is now a lesser species

[joebloggs]

i think its becuase they have asked (well some of them have) to be removed, couple of years ago my misses asked her GP for a reference and the doc said they dont do that any more, maybe too many people asking them

[Doc Alan]

Doctors are also not listed as suitable countersignatories for passport applications. However, funeral directors, among others, are listed as suitable professionals for citizenship and passport applications
I've countersigned many passport applications over the years, for no fee
Respect and trust for anyone, not just "professionals", should be hard-earned, not assumed. I will continue contributing to the forum, even if the Home Office no longer requires my signature, or that of any other doctor, on their forms, until and unless Keith "Boss" deletes me .

[Dedworth]

I qualify under 2 categories but I've not signed one for about 18 months.

[Arthur Little]

I qualify under 2 categories but I've not signed one for about 18 months.

Oops ... ! In my haste to ascertain if you are/were either a dentist or funeral director by profession ... I inadvertently pressed the wrong key and ended up deleting the first part of your response.

Apologies.

[Dedworth]

Not either of those Arthur I'll put my hands up to Director of a VAT Registered Company which frankly surprised me as I was unaware of, it's a ridiculous inclusion on the list - I'll keep the other one to myself

[Doc Alan]

For a while it appeared as if D was asking if I was a dentist or funeral director !
To be honest, I don't have connections with the inner circles of the GMC, BMA, or Home Office, so I don't know the reasons for this and who sanctioned it. I think it's ridiculous that doctors are no longer on the list, and I can't believe that most of them, like myself, are unwilling or too busy to sign.

[Farmerg]

Maybe its the poor hand writing that doctors are famous for that got them removed from the list.

[Dedworth]

You wonder what kind of pathetic politically correct process went into drawing up this list, along with travel agents, chiropodists, personal licensee holders my wife as a nurse and having held a Brit passport for all of 6 months can also be a countersignatorie

[Arthur Little]

my wife as a nurse and having held a Brit passport for all of 6 months can also be a countersignatorie

Belated Congratulations to your wife on becoming a British Citizen ... you kept that quiet!

[Dedworth]

Belated Congratulations to your wife on becoming a British Citizen ... you kept that quiet!

Thanks Arthur - I think the Citizenship Ceremony was around March/April last year passport came along a couple of months later. I suppose unlike a lot of other posted reports on here she did it via time serving having entered the UK on an employment visa.

[joebloggs]

For a while it appeared as if D was asking if I was a dentist or funeral director !
To be honest, I don't have connections with the inner circles of the GMC, BMA, or Home Office, so I don't know the reasons for this and who sanctioned it. I think it's ridiculous that doctors are no longer on the list, and I can't believe that most of them, like myself, are unwilling or too busy to sign.

Doc Alan as I've already mentioned, i think some doctors were getting with being asked by many people to sign forms acting as a reference, when they don't really know the person or have the time to do it, I'm sure most people when they need a reference of a professional person, their GP is one of the first that comes to mind, specially if your a filipina and applying for citizenship, many may not have known a qualified person for 3yrs who can sign it, except their GP

[Doc Alan]

None of us actually know the reason doctors are excluded - it may indeed be that some are too busy as jobloggs suggests, or poor handwriting as Farmberg suggests
It would be interesting - but expensive - to put this to the test, and actually sign one of these documents

Meantime if I do find out the reason for our exclusion I will post again on this thread.
Here's another suggestion, which I mean sincerely. Dedworth has a "way with words" when dealing with authorities. It could be helpful, if he was willing, to write requesting the reason for excluding doctors from these lists.
This is not so much hurt pride at our exclusion - I'm not that sensitive ! - but doctors would seem often to be most accessible professionals to ask in these circumstances.

[Arthur Little]

I'm sure most people when they need a reference of a professional person, their GP is one of the first that comes to mind, specially if your a filipina and applying for citizenship, many may not have known a qualified person for 3yrs who can sign it, except their GP

, Joe ... !

[Dedworth]

None of us actually know the reason doctors are excluded - it may indeed be that some are too busy as jobloggs suggests, or poor handwriting as Farmberg suggests
It would be interesting - but expensive - to put this to the test, and actually sign one of these documents

Meantime if I do find out the reason for our exclusion I will post again on this thread.
Here's another suggestion, which I mean sincerely. Dedworth has a "way with words" when dealing with authorities. It could be helpful, if he was willing, to write requesting the reason for excluding doctors from these lists.
This is not so much hurt pride at our exclusion - I'm not that sensitive ! - but doctors would seem often to be most accessible professionals to ask in these circumstances.

I'll have a go Doc ! It might be verboten knowledge under the Freedom of Information Act but if you don't ask, you don't get