Following the tragic incident which took place in Plymouth in 2021, the Home Office has issued new Firearms Licensing Guidance, which came into effect on 1 November 2021
The guidance outlines new statutory requirements relating to the medical suitability of individuals applying for a firearms or shotgun certificate. These requirements are detailed in Section 2.25 to 2.46 (pages 6–11) of the document, under “Guidance to the Police – Fitness to be Entrusted with a Firearm.”
Under the new legislation, every applicant seeking a grant or renewal of a firearms or shotgun certificate must now provide a medical report from a suitably qualified, GMC-registered doctor. This report will assist the police in assessing whether the individual is fit to be entrusted with a firearm.
We would encourage practices to review the updated GPC guidance BMA Guidance on Firearms Licensing (updated 6 February 2023) which has been updated since the report.
This falls outside of the scope of core contract and GP NHS contractual obligations, practices may charge a reasonable fee for providing medical information to support an application.
Further information can be found here:
- Firearms licensing – GOV.UK (updated 2 May 2024)
