Letter for the airport

[mintusdave]

Hi , been going abroad since i started using insulin a few years ago but recently changed my doctor and couldn't belive it when first of all after 3 weeks it was not done and then they wanted to charge me for it which the other doctors had never done before . When contacting the health authorities to see if they could do this the health authorities said they was in there rights to charge me and said they could charge me up to £ 50 for writing a letter which i think is totaly outragous has anyone who goes abroad and takes there insulin with them knows they must take it in there hand - luggage and not in there main baggage and with the new security measures must take a letter to prove they are diabetic and use insulin . does anyone else think this is an un-nesasery charge and thinks like me that the doctors are taking advantage of somebodies misfortune of being a diabetic or other illneses which you need to take injections for . Thanks

 

[sugarless sue]

Can you get your original doctor to write the letter? £50 for writing a letter! I'm in the wrong business.If you get the letter I would photcopy it so that you do not have to go through all that again.

 

[buzzangie1]

I have an abbott meter and they regularly send booklet newsletters in there I found a card which stated I had diabetes and would be travelling with meds and injecting facilities. There was space on the card for a doctors signaturs and the practice stamp showing address details.
If you have an abbot meter maybe you could enquire about this?
My GP did not charge me for doing this.
Hope this helps.

 

[LadyJ]

I agree that this is a total outrage.

I seriously can't believe they are charging you for this - my doctor never does.

Equally, I have never even been asked to produce the letter when I go. Not that I would advise you to take the risk that your flight would be stopped.

I don't know what to advise to help you, but it definitely seems wrong to me. Try phoning Diabetes UK (the charity) and see what they can advise...

 

[LesleyB]

I personally charge £250 to write a letter

I don't work for the health service though

Why did you have to get a new letter, surely the original one said all the right stuff on it?

I have never bothered to get a letter from my doctor, I carry a repeat prescription with me

I actually had my bag searched by security in Heathrow 2 weeks ago, she took out my insulin pens, asked me what they were I said "Insulin" so she put them down and said "I have never seen one of those before" and that was that

 

[Amberella]

That is disgusting to charge you for a letter. I am very lucky in that I just phone up the hospital diabetic clinic and request a letter and they send one out by return of post. I request a fresh one every year as they are dated and never have a problem getting one.

 

[siddywest]

I have just asked my surgery for a letter and they want to charge me £23.50. I also think this is outrageous. They give us free prescriptions as this is a chronic illness and yet want to charge us for a letter confirming that we need the meds for our chronic illness.

Eventually the practice manager printed out a list of my medication and stamped it with the surgery stamp and then signed it and I am hoping this will be sufficient.

Just not good enough really is it.

Michelle.

 

[sixfoot]

I recently went through Gatwick to Malaga and made the point of trying to tell them that i had sharps and a cover letter, surprise surprise they didnt want to know not even at the spanish end.

 

[ThinType2]

Hi

I had to pay £10 last year to get my doctor to write a letter stating I was a diabetic, I was also being seen by a consultant at my local hospital (pre-pregnancy) and when I went away again she did the letter free of charge......to be honest though NOT ONE PERSON seemed interested in seeing it either way!!! as long as you are honest at the check in and get a clear plastic bag to put all your pens etc in and flash that at them they didn't seem that bothered!!


Have a nice holiday

 

[saskia22]

Hi New to this forum, but on the question of a letter for the airport, I work at glasgow airport and there is no rule stating you must have a letter to carry insulin + needles but in light of all the security measures that have been put in place it is better to have a letter stating you are diabetic and need to carry these items on in your hand luggage.

I am suprised and shocked :shock: that your GP is charging you for this (mine gave me a letter when diagnoised for future use if needed)also the DSN at the hospital where you get your yearly checks will be able to provide one free of charge stating you use insulin and require to keep this in you hand luggage as it should not be stored in the cargo hold.
I have had this letter for 4 years and have never been told I needed a new one every year. I keep it with my hand luggage and have never had any problems with it being out of date!!!

I would continue to use your existing letter as once diagnoised it is unlikely that your diabetes is going to go away :roll:

Happy holidays

saskia

 

[Leosrme]

Hi,
You shouldn't need any letter for the airport. Unless the rules have changed since I last flew between the UK and Canada last October, then all you need to carry with you is a repeat prescription. This is both for customs and security and also in case you need to get emergency supplies while you are in another country. Strange that you were asked about your Novopen. I would have thought with the millions of people travelling through the airport every year, the security/customs should have seen a shedload of them.

I guess I am lucky in that I have never been asked about what is in my bag - its been xrayed and searched of course - obviously the security/customs people I came across were familiar with novopens.

I have also never been questioned about medication when travelling between the US and Canada and believe me, American customs/security are ten times more paranoid than those between the UK and Europe! I do always make sure though when travelling between Canada and the US that I have a repeat prescription with me just in case.
Bren

 

[sue@ssh]

Hi, new to forum. On travelling to States in 04 took (free) letter, prescription packed with insurance docs in hand luggage. This was shortly before see through bags were required - US customs were more interested in the handful of boiled sweets I had as emergency!

 

[Dennis]

Please note that I have just extracted the following from the Heathrow Airport Security guidelines for passengers:

"Passengers are allowed to take essential medicines sufficient for the trip. I am concerned about the temperature of my medicine in the hold. Yes, you may carry esssential medicines for the trip. However, you may be asked to taste any liquid medicines, or to provide evidence (such as a doctor's letter) that you need them for your journey."

I don't want to undermine what the what some of the well intentioned posters have written, but if you ignore what the airport's own website advises, then you do so at your own risk.

 

[geezer]

Hi, just to say i travelled to Marsaille on urgent delivery of spare parts for an F1 car being tested, and had no problem taking insulin through security. I was just told to inform them that it was in my hand baggage when i got to x-ray, but carried a copy of a repeat prescription just in case. I think they have relaxed a bit, even allowing cigarette lighters through.

 

[Marz Barr]

Hi Geezer,
My 18 year old son would have killed to go with you :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Stuboy]

when i was first diagnosed the specialist nurses at the diabetes clinic in the hospital told me not to get travel notes from the doctors surgeries because they would charge, but to go back to the clinic in the hospital and ask for one there... they wouldnt' charge me.

I've had two, the last one they didn't date so i can use it again and again ... that was their idea! lol I used it to go to Florida and no-one even asked for it... so ill be using it again when i go to Egypt in July!

So try your D-clinic at your hospital! A lot of GP surgeries are privately funded although the doctors work for the NHS, which is probably why they try charging you for the letters.

 

[chocoholic]

I was charged by my G.P. too for the letter that I was informed I HAD to have to go through airports. I seem to remember the charge was about £15. I thought it was a bit cheeky too, charging for a letter that contained two sentences. :roll:

 

[mumofplenty]

hi my DD went with me to tenerife last oct the nurse asked us to contact them 8 weeks beforehand so they could send a cover letter before we traveled. nobody asked us for it. my dd, Husband and myself had meds in our bags, we just told the person who was ex-raying them that they were there. no one asked us about them at other end either .
Sue

 

[Stuboy]

The last time i travelled i didnt' even tell them i was diabetic and had needles in my bag... no one said anything either!!

Makes you wonder doesn't it!

 

[Er1nyes]

I wear a Medic Alert bracelet and just flash that at the security and I've been through Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead without any problems.