Our practice policy for prescribing for patients who are going to be travelling abroad follows national guidelines and is as follows:

Up to 3 months
If you are travelling abroad for up to three months and intending to return

• An NHS prescription for regular medication will be given to cover up to a maximum of 3 month period providing your GP is happy that any monitoring required is up to date and satisfactory
• You will remain registered with the practice

Over 3 months
If you are travelling abroad for more than three months and/or not intending to return

• An NHS prescription up to 3 month’s supply of regular medication may be provided at your GP’s discretion. The easiest way to obtain a summary of your patient record is through taking advantage of online access to your medical record. There is information on how to obtain access under online access to your Records.
• You will be removed from the practice list if you are away for more than 3 months.

Requests for other medication to be taken abroad
No other medication other than that which is taken on a regular basis will be prescribed on the NHS. Private prescriptions may be issued at your GP’s discretion for items such as ‘just in case’ treatments.

If you are already abroad
If you are already abroad, no NHS prescriptions can be issued. NHS prescriptions or medication cannot be sent abroad.

National and local guidance on NHS prescriptions and travelling abroad

Our practice policy is based on national and local guidance which is considered in more detail under

• Holiday and Travel Health

This also includes information on over the counter medication which your pharmacist can supply you for your holiday (including a first aid kit).

Good Medical Practice states that doctors “must recognise and work within the limits of their competence”. The GPs at this surgery are not trained in aviation medicine and do not have the expertise to issue a ‘fit to fly’ certificate. They may however on request, be able to provide a factual statement about a patient’s condition, the stability of it and presence or absence of recent deterioration. Any such report may include the words “I know of no reason why this patient shouldn’t be fit to fly” but this cannot be taken as a guarantee that there will not be complications resulting from flying. Any such report is not included as part of our NHS contracted work and such caries a private charge.

If the fitness to fly is resulting from a recent surgery, patients are advised to contact their surgeon for advice on travelling after surgical procedures.

Patients with medical symptoms or diagnoses are advised to check the Civil Aviation Authority online guidance before planning any air travel. The Aviation Health Unit (AHU) of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has a statutory responsibility to safeguard the health of persons on board aircraft.

Information for passengers | Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk)

Patients should also check with the relevant airline, for their individual guidance on flying with medical conditions. Each airline has medical advisers who can make decisions on fitness to fly if needed.

The final decision as to whether a patient may fly rests with the airlines, and the information provided from any GP will assist them in this decision.

Patients are also advised to check with their travel insurance companies if there are any doubts about their fitness to travel.

Airlines have rules about how late in a pregnancy a patient may travel, and it is important that patients check the rules with the individual airlines.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have published guidance for patients considering flying during their pregnancy:

Air travel and pregnancy | RCOG (rcog.org.uk)

Most airlines ask for a medical confirmation of fitness to fly once a pregnancy has reached 28 weeks’ gestation. They ask for this to be completed by either a doctor or a midwife. A fitness to fly in pregnancy statement usually requires confirmation of when your baby is due, confirm that you are in good health, and having a straightforward pregnancy and that you are not at increased risk of complications. Some airlines have their own specific form to be completed.

In this practice, maternity care is undertaken at an off-site maternity hub and the GPs here do not have access to your maternity notes. It is therefore impossible for our GPs to provide any recommendation of your fitness to fly in pregnancy. We suggest that patients approach their midwife in the first instance for advice regarding travelling in pregnancy. If the midwifery service is not able to issue a fit to fly certificate, then you would need to approach a private GP or private obstetric service, with your maternity notes, for a private medical – this is a private chargeable service.

To help us offer the appropriate advice, please complete the following form before coming to see a nurse.

Download and complete the form:

• Travel-Risk-Assessment-Form
  You can bring the completed form to the surgery, or post or email it to us using our details found under Contact