Sinistral
Well-Known Member
This week I'm embarking on my 10th Renewal under the tripartite Beds/Cambs/Herts FLD (BCH), as one of the cyclical 'peak' of FAC-holders caused by the change to a 5-year term in 1995. I've always had good relations with my FLD, but am simply at a loss to understand the tone of the renewal reminder letter which has turned up. The past ones have been always been polite but firm, but this one seems very brusque. Accordingly I've decided this will be my last renewal as it's all become an ordeal. The outright refusal to accept paper forms is going to cause problems for many.
It's been clear for some time that firearms licensing is a job that the police top management don't want to do, but they're lumbered with it. Due to insufficient staff and poor funding the licensing regime has become hostile to shooters who are just trying to carry on with their hobby. It's no-one's fault, but the politicians [the Tories!] are to blame.
It really needs to be standardised, and centralised under a government agency like DVLA because every force is different.
Applicants are being given 20 week notice reminders due to long delays by BCH, which is fair. It used to be 12 weeks notice, so perhaps the S28 8-week extension has been integrated. That's all good, no problem with it. However, other shooters have told me about all sorts of problems they've experienced with minor mistakes, which aren't being picked up. It's obviously their own fault for not spotting them first, but they say the FLD are sitting on applications until it's very late in the day to put things right. The trouble is the nature of what's very much a legal process. In particular they've warned me to check & double-check that the 201 medical questionnaire is filled in exactly as instructed in page 2 of the letter. Errors on these made by the surgery aren't being picked up & advised to the applicant by the FLD until months after receipt, so the renewal application then isn't valid and can be voided at will by Licensing.
I've had to return mine twice so far to stop this happening. Only the GP can amend it, as it's a criminal offence for anyone else to change the form later. Reception won't post it for confidentiality reasons, it has to be collected in person. My patient record is covered in FAC/SGC warning marker codes below which appear on every screen, even for routine jabs. The staff have been told to scan in all completed medical forms to stop fraud (alterations are being made afterwards by patients apparently . . who would have believed it?). The police idea of secure electronic transfer from practices is really a non-starter, which will prejudice the applicant if the FLD isn't doing any screening checks.
Clinical Codes on NHS (TPP) PATIENT RECORD SYSTEM
Coded Entry Has firearm certificate (XaYbl)
Coded Entry Shotgun Application Cert. (9D8..)
Coded Entry Has applied for firearm certificate (Y324f)
Coded Entry Firearm certificate suitability reviewed by GP (Y36df)
I'll be doing my renewal on the new computer system, which sounds like it has been changed since using it last time, which was over a couple of days. There wasn't a problem then in saving the record in stages, or the final version which people are reporting. If there's any technical way of doing this there'll be more from me on this front.
It's been clear for some time that firearms licensing is a job that the police top management don't want to do, but they're lumbered with it. Due to insufficient staff and poor funding the licensing regime has become hostile to shooters who are just trying to carry on with their hobby. It's no-one's fault, but the politicians [the Tories!] are to blame.
It really needs to be standardised, and centralised under a government agency like DVLA because every force is different.
Applicants are being given 20 week notice reminders due to long delays by BCH, which is fair. It used to be 12 weeks notice, so perhaps the S28 8-week extension has been integrated. That's all good, no problem with it. However, other shooters have told me about all sorts of problems they've experienced with minor mistakes, which aren't being picked up. It's obviously their own fault for not spotting them first, but they say the FLD are sitting on applications until it's very late in the day to put things right. The trouble is the nature of what's very much a legal process. In particular they've warned me to check & double-check that the 201 medical questionnaire is filled in exactly as instructed in page 2 of the letter. Errors on these made by the surgery aren't being picked up & advised to the applicant by the FLD until months after receipt, so the renewal application then isn't valid and can be voided at will by Licensing.
I've had to return mine twice so far to stop this happening. Only the GP can amend it, as it's a criminal offence for anyone else to change the form later. Reception won't post it for confidentiality reasons, it has to be collected in person. My patient record is covered in FAC/SGC warning marker codes below which appear on every screen, even for routine jabs. The staff have been told to scan in all completed medical forms to stop fraud (alterations are being made afterwards by patients apparently . . who would have believed it?). The police idea of secure electronic transfer from practices is really a non-starter, which will prejudice the applicant if the FLD isn't doing any screening checks.
Clinical Codes on NHS (TPP) PATIENT RECORD SYSTEM
Coded Entry Has firearm certificate (XaYbl)
Coded Entry Shotgun Application Cert. (9D8..)
Coded Entry Has applied for firearm certificate (Y324f)
Coded Entry Firearm certificate suitability reviewed by GP (Y36df)
I'll be doing my renewal on the new computer system, which sounds like it has been changed since using it last time, which was over a couple of days. There wasn't a problem then in saving the record in stages, or the final version which people are reporting. If there's any technical way of doing this there'll be more from me on this front.
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