By now you all should know that BSAC has moved to allow medical self declaration. Below and the next 4 pages are frequently asked questions (and answers) on the subject-

Q. If I answer 'Yes' to any of the questions on the form, what do I do, who do I speak to if I am unsure about whether an illness in the past will stop me diving?

A. The first thing to do is to telephone your local medical referee. Medical Referees are listed on the reverse of the Self-Declaration Form or you can check the UK Sports Diving Medical Committee's website or your Diving Organisation for the most up-to-date list of referees.

Your initial telephone enquiry to a Medical Referee may result in :
1. From the information you give, the Referee may say you can complete the self-declaration yourself.

1. From the information you give, the Referee may need to contact your own doctor for further information and on this result, may endorse your self-declaration form. All this will involve is sending the Self-Declaration form to the Referee with a stamped addressed envelope for return of the endorsed form to you.

1. From the information you give, the Referee may require you to visit them for a medical examination before a Certificate of Fitness to dive can be issued.

Q. If a diver signs the Medical Self-Declaration Form stating that all is OK, but is hiding a past illness…

A. The Form is a legal declaration. If a diver is found to have been untruthful and an accident occurs then that diver will be uninsured and may be held individually liable for the consequences.

Q. What if I have had DCI but been cleared to dive?
or
What if I have a condition listed on the Medical Self-Declaration Form but have been cleared to dive by a medical referee?

A. The Medical Referee will have issued you with a Certificate of Fitness to Dive. This certificate may cover a certain time period or be a clearance that self-declaration can be completed by the diver for the future. Provided the Medical Referee has given you the all clear, then there will not be a problem.

Q. If I have a condition that warrants a visit to a medical referee, does that referee keep my own doctor up to date?

A. Copies of correspondence or investigation results are usually sent to your own doctor.

Q. Where can I seek general medical advice?

A. Check the medical standards on the BSAC/UKSDMC website, or contact your local medical referee.

Q. Supposing different advice has been given from another medical source compared to a medical referee? Who do I go to seek advice or clarification?

A. The UK Sport Diving Medical Committee is the final court of appeal for divers, and referees are able to refer to the committee for advice.

Q.What about the body mass index (BMI)?

A. There is no longer a cut-off. If you are able to complete the pool training then this is used as an indication of your fitness to dive. A high BMI does not necessarily reflect a poor level of fitness, just as a low BMI does not guarantee good fitness.

Q. Isn't this just a means of medical referees now being able to charge?

A. The medical referees have diving medicine expertise and incur significant expense maintaining their knowledge, and also performing medicals or arranging investigation. Until recently many referees did not charge for their time, but this is impossible to sustain because of the increasing number of referrals. Last year the British Medical Association suggested an initial consultation fee for this type of examination of £61.50.

Q. How does the self-declaration affect my Diving insurance?

A. The diving organisation insurance companies have approved this change.

Q. My GP didn't charge for medicals in the past, or low cost, so why the change? At least a doctor saw me for my diving medical?

A. You can continue to have medicals if you choose to do so, but you should not be falsely reassured by their screening value for diving fitness.

Q. My DO doesn't agree with the new proposal, will anyone from BSAC or SAA be able to help with updating and giving them more information?

A. The DO should contact their respective organization for a further response by their UK Sports Diving Medical Committee representative.

Q. Isn't this decision because everyone else is looking at or accepting self-declarations?

A. The UKSDMC continually monitors the safety of diving in the UK and it is because of the ongoing research programme that this change has been proposed. Other organisations use questionnaires but these require to be validated properly.

Q. Why do I have to go through a medical for a job, but not for diving, which is perceived as more dangerous?

A. Employment medicals are a different situation entirely because of the concern of employer liability. Although some employers insist on screening medicals there is little supporting evidence for these for most types of employment.

Q. What about medical conditions such as high blood pressure, mental problems or substance abuse that may be missed by going onto self declarations

A. We have had instances of hypertensive divers developing acute pulmonary oedema (fluid on the lungs) from left ventricular failure when diving in cold water. This was mostly in the days of the neoprene wet suit. Now that dry suits are more common, this is no longer such a problem. In any case, the current medical system does not prevent the occasional diver developing pulmonary oedema.

Mental problems significant in a diving context would normally be detected during training.

Substance abuse is a fact of life these days and a medical examination would not normally detect it. Do not forget that by far the commonest drug to be abused is alcohol and the night in the pub before diving is often a silent contributing factor to diving accidents the following day.

Q. Can I get hold of the paper referred to in the UK Sports Diving Medical Committee's proposal?

A. This was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine 2000;34:375-378, "Medical supervision of sport diving in Scotland: reassessing the need for routine medical examinations" Glen S, White S and Douglas J. Copies can be obtained from the British Journal of Sports Medicine

Q. What happens when I travel abroad and need a medical to dive (e.g. Malta)?

A. If a medical signed by a doctor is required for diving abroad, members can obtain Medical Form B, which can be signed by a GP.

Q. I am a member of an overseas branch and local regulations require a doctor to sign a Diving Medical Certificate, what do I do as self-declaration will not be acceptable.

A. A Diving Medical Form can be supplied by BSAC to overseas branches where local doctors need to sign. These forms give advice to the examining doctor should they need to contact a Medical Referee.

Q. There is not a referee near me?

A. The UKSDMC are endeavouring to increase the number of Medical Referees but, as with other medical specialists, if the need to visit a Medical Referee is required from initial telephone contact, travel may be necessary.

Q. Can the DO be held liable if they miss something?

A. No, the completion of the self-declaration is the responsibility of the person completing the form. However, if a DO feels they need to speak to a medical diving specialist on a query or for advice, they should contact the UKSDMC.

Q. Shouldn't anyone partaking in a physical sport be health conscious as a matter of course?

A. As with all sports, the participants should be generally fit to partake in that sport.
Health is an individual's responsibility but any questions of concern that relate to health and diving can be directed to the UKSDMC or a Medical Referee.