Health Inspections On Arrival In UK?

MikeCharlie · Post by **MikeCharlie** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 5:54 pm

Hi,

I am anxiously waiting for my new bride to arrive in England, after getting her spouse visa. I am a little surprised to find out that she may have to undergo a medical inspection when she arrives at Heathrow.

I've done some research and found that it's mostly for TB screening, as far as I can tell. My wife will be coming from Pakistan, which is supposed to have a high incidence of TB, although she has never had TB and is in good health.

I am would like to draw on the experience of others who have come from high-risk TB countries to find out;

1) How long does this inspection take?
2) Is it just a TB test?
3) Are you allowed to call anyone, if you are referred for inspection?

I heard of someone who was delayed at Heathrow for 2 hours, for their medical inspection and am curious to see if this is normal.

After having spent all but a few days of our married life apart, I am anxious to see her as soon as possible and I don't want to be hovering around Heathrow for hours on end, wondering where she is.

Many thanks,

M.

tekaweni · Post by **tekaweni** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:44 pm

Im from South Africa, also a high TB country. When I arrived at Heathrow with a work permit in my grubby paw back in 2001 I also had to undergo the medical.

It took about 5 minutes, they just did a basic chest x-ray and nothing else. But it was 6am so there was no queue - she may have a longer wait if she arrives at prime time.

mads · Post by **mads** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:54 pm

I am from good old SA as well and arrived at Heathrow in 2005. The immigration officer sent me for a check with the nurse (after a 11 hour flight and arrving at 6am in the morning) for a Tb XRAY.
It went relatively quick as I was first in the queue. Will never forget the petrified look of all the non-eu passport holders behind me though when I was escorted to the nurse's office

or my own petrified face

They noted my home address as well to forward any paperwork if necessary.
mads

ashishashah · Post by **ashishashah** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:57 pm

hi,

My wife came from India 3 days back..She spent 3.5 hours waiting in Medical room..This is despite carrying an X -ray...(I knew that they would demand an X ray..)But the queue was too long...I made public announments on the system after waiting near the arrival lounge, but after 3 hours i found out that she was in Medical ...

Final bit, she her self is a Doctor...

Ashish

Khurram · Post by **Khurram** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:27 am

Same case here ... arrived back in 1999 from Pakistan on a years student visa and was sent off for the medical .... it took them nearly 2 hours for a basic health check and a chest X-Ray ... but then again it was primarily down to a reasonably long queue.

Regards

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:22 am

I also arrived at the beginning of 2002 straight from South Africa with work permit in hand and was subject to the TB xray at Heathrow. Took a few hours because the terminal was really busy and my friend who was waiting on the other side was really worried about where I was!

MikeCharlie · Post by **MikeCharlie** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:27 pm

Thank you for all the replies. I guess my wife will be delayed by a few hours then.

Is it just an X-ray, or is there always some additional test involved too?

bhavna · Post by **bhavna** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:14 pm

Dear All,

Do they put the immigration stamp in the passport after the health control unit or even before that when you see an immigration officer?

Do you have to see the immigration officer again with the landing card after the health control thing is over?

Cheers

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:41 pm

You do not officially pass through immigration control until AFTER the hospital has declared that you are TB-free. Your passport is only stamped once the nurse has signed a piece of paper declaring this to be the case.

Look on the bright side....you are getting a free medical checkup and at least you will know that you don't have TB which can be a devastating disease.

MikeCharlie · Post by **MikeCharlie** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:40 pm

Dawie,

Thank you for the information.

I see your point and agree that a free-health check is normally a good thing.

But there is another side to this;

Imagine that you have spent months filing forms, paying large fees, traveling long distances for interviews at the British High Commission to prove your case and then, at long last, you finally get your visa. You then make the long journey to England. You stand in more lines only to find out (because no British official ever warned you beforehand) that you have to submit to a health check.

If for any reason you fail it, you are then sent all the way back home, having had your long-held hopes and expectations crushed when you were almost at the end of your journey.

Can you think of a more inhumane way to reject someone who has patiently done all that was asked of them by the British Government?

If the High Commission had told her that she would be checked on arrival, she could have used her spare time to get a health check in her home country and get any required treatment she needed then.

Wouldn't this be easier than risking making a wasted journey and possible disappointment?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to have a health check. I just wish that some thought was given to those who have patiently and without complaint put up with all the hardships that our government has demanded they submit to.

Regards,

M.

Dawie · Post by **Dawie** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:44 pm

Yeah I agree. I went through the same experience as well. I even asked the British embassy before I left South Africa if I needed to get a TB examination done and they said no. So imagine how pissed off I was when I got stopped at Heathrow.

Bear in mind that if, God forbid, your wife fails the TB examination, not being allowed into the UK will be the least of her worries.

ashishashah · Post by **ashishashah** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:14 pm

Well..One of my friends failed a TB test.He was isolated for 8 days..He was taken to a Hospital directly from Airport..(Couldnt even collect his luggage from Conveyer belt)..Was totally isolated in a room with food being passed from under the door ...

No one knew where he was (as he disappeared from Airport)...Finally when he came out after 8 days(he was declared fit by Authorities) , his family came to know that he was alive.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:40 pm

ashishashah wrote:Well..One of my friends failed a TB test.He was isolated for 8 days..He was taken to a Hospital directly from Airport..(Couldnt even collect his luggage from Conveyer belt)..Was totally isolated in a room with food being passed from under the door ...

No one knew where he was (as he disappeared from Airport)...Finally when he came out after 8 days(he was declared fit by Authorities) , his family came to know that he was alive.

My Social Worker brother caught TB (in a mild form) off one of his clients, a Kurdish Asylum-seeking Shepherd of all things, doubt there'll be much for him in Salford Jobcentre.....

Anyway my bro told him to sort his coughing out - turned out it was TB!

bbdivo · Post by **bbdivo** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:21 pm

Dawie wrote:You do not officially pass through immigration control until AFTER the hospital has declared that you are TB-free. Your passport is only stamped once the nurse has signed a piece of paper declaring this to be the case.

Look on the bright side....you are getting a free medical checkup and at least you will know that you don't have TB which can be a devastating disease.

My experience was the complete opposite, the immigration officer stamped my passport but said i needed to get the xrays down, I was taken through, however the equipment was not working and I was escorted straight through to the baggage reclaim area.

Marie B · Post by **Marie B** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:18 pm

My husband's experience was the same as bbdivo. His passport was stamped and then he was asked to go to the medical centre. I went with him (just down the corridor from immigration control). We stood there for 10 minutes while a nurse ignored us she then looked at my husband and asked us both to leave and go through to baggage reclaim.

MikeCharlie · Post by **MikeCharlie** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:06 am

Many thanks for all the replies. I do appreciate it.

My beautiful wife arrived last Thursday. She had to spend 10 minutes getting an X-ray. She had more problems getting her luggage than her health check.

We are now together, finally.

mads · Post by **mads** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:22 am

That is excellent news!! Enjoy your new married life...

Sku · Post by **Sku** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:12 pm

Hi - can anyone tell me if i have been dignosed with TB will i be sent back to my country. As NHS got it because of the chest xray that i had taken at the airport. I am here ion HSMP teir 1.
If any one can reply who has the knowledge i will be really greatfull.

Markie · Post by **Markie** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:34 pm

They will NOT send you back immediately BUT a follow up xray test will be made in your local NHS centre to validate the initial results...MIND you there are instances that xray results at the airport do go being messed up meaning swapped from some reason...known a few of this instance ...after the follow-up check --- nothing in the subsequent xray result.

Hope this helps.

Sku wrote:Hi - can anyone tell me if i have been dignosed with TB will i be sent back to my country. As NHS got it because of the chest xray that i had taken at the airport. I am here ion HSMP teir 1.
If any one can reply who has the knowledge i will be really greatfull.

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Health Inspections On Arrival In UK?

Health Inspections On Arrival In UK?

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