Medicals and confidentiality?

[Delta_Cephei]

Had our medicals last week and the Doctor told us that he would see us on 9th Jan (I need to bring a letter from my doc explaining the prognosis from back surgery 6 years ago- which my doc will do for £30).

However: he also said that he was going to seal the results and forms and I old not be allowed to see them.

He is a very experienced panel doctor for INZ (he also did the British cast medicals for The Hobbit)- I had not heard this before and am concerned that having paid £1100 I will not see or check what has been written!

Can anyone else shed any light on why he would have said this and whether it is true that I am not allowed to see the documents after the end of the medical??

I wouldn't want to ruin the process by opening a sealed envelope - but I would like to check that nothing basic has been missed. At least he (and everyone involved) seemed very knowledgeable about what was needed, signed etc.

For info- the medical was done at the Imaging Centre in Central London.

Thanks,

Eliot

[JandM]

As you'll see, this issue has come up before. http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&q=+si...w=1112&bih=768 It appears that some countries require this, and certain doctors insist it's the same for NZ, but it isn't. To set your mind at rest, you could check with INZ.

[Millesverige]

We sort of ran into the same problem where the doctors were even not going to give us back our medicals saying it's procedure they send them directly to "Germany" (we knew when they said Germany something was wrong as for Sweden our medicals should be going to London). We wrote to INZ and the dr. didn't accept that I had contacted them at first so INZ wrote directly to the doctor's office and our medicals were released to us. We got copies of anything we wanted and INZ got the rest. I would check with INZ just to be sure as things change all the time, but it seems our office was mixing NZ up with Australia.

[MetalSoul]

We collected our results from doctors and were able to read them before submitting. How would you know whether to submit your chest xrays otherwise?

[Francoise]

Ours were given to us unsealed and I opened them and checked them, which is just as well, as in two places the doctor (who is a very experienced NZ panel doctor) had forgotten to sign. I had to make a trip back to the doctor's rooms to get the documents signed correctly. I don't even want to think of the delay it could have caused if I'd not checked them before sending them off.

[Brian Chu]

My medical file also in sealed envelop and the admin staffs from the Medical center insist that it should be delivered to NZ authorities with the seal attached. But I think that requirements may be for some special cases only

[Delta_Cephei]

Ok- so I telephoned INZ and they confirmed- no need for Doctor to seal and we could open and examine if we wished (which we did).

So: off to submit the ITA next week in person at the London office...

Ta,

Eliot

[CCIE_4_NZ_work]

Did you get medical done in London ?

There is separate thread for London branch. Please keep us posted under that thread once ITA is submitted.

All the best , good luck

[dharder]

I would have thought you have every right to see your record no matter what. It is your medical record.

Sending an envelope sealed by the doctor to the relevant places should just ensure that you haven't changed the record in the meantime, which you could probably make a case for.

Daniela

[Delta_Cephei]

True- at least the right to have access for the information (after all it costs a lot!) But Australia apparently insist on a sealed tamper evident envelope to stop the possibility of altering the info- which is where some Panel Doctors are getting it wrong (and causing stress).

Ta,

Eliot