London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[britishdakota 18]

Had medical done today, Bond St station still closed so avoided going that way.

The staff were helpful and professional. Have to get more info from my GP as they forgot to include some blood tests referred to in their letter

[Al422 221]

Knightsbridge seems to be a very well run and professional clinic. I have yet to read a single complaint. Most applicants were very pleased with how well it is run. So when your turn comes up, don't worry.

[Searsison 8]

I had my medical today it was super relaxed i arrived and was greeted by a friendly girl at reception, she asked me to hand over my forms and ID and i was told to fill out another questionaire, about 20 minutes later a lady called me into a room to take an X-ray of my chest, this involved standing against a plate and taking a deep breath when told to do so, all over within 2 minutes, i then had to wait for about 15 minutes more and then i was met by a super friendly doctor who said he was from singapore, we had a joke about my plans to get married in the new england winter and how he had travelled the US himself and then he took my height and weighed me, asked me to read letters from a board then i was told to lay down, he took my blood pressure and then poked around at my belly a few times, took some blood which wasnt too bad at all and then had me drop my pants to make sure there was nothing abnormal down there! after that he walked me back to reception where i got my ID back and a copy of the DS-3025 form which i believe is needed later for adjustment. I paid my fee of £245 and was sent on my way.

All in all i was there for about an hour, it was completely stress free and i felt totally relaxed with the doctor doing the medical. For anyone with an appointment in the near future i can confirm that Bond street station is open to the central line as normal but it was closed to the jubilee line.

Another step closer to being with my love is complete!

[LaurenandCarl 16]

Figured i'd share my medical experience on here, I didn't find that many female experiences on visajourney so will shed light on the experience for us ladies!

I went to the Bond St clinic which was relatively easy to find, and about 5-10minutes walk from Bond St station (which is open for the central line). Two ladies at the desk, the one who served me didn't even crack a smile. I was super nervous and trying to make light of the situation but she did not seem interested! You basically have to fill out a questionnaire, medical history, height and weight estimate and then I took a peak through the rest of the forms to see what the doctor would be looking for. It listed pretty much all of my body parts and then a normal/abnormal tick box.

I arrived really early, but the process began on time with my xray. The guy was so friendly, constantly making jokes and you put on this ninja type robe after taking your bra and top off. (I expected the open back hospital gowns but this felt like luxury!). After the xray the guy showed me the image and pointed out all of my organs, told me I was healthy after a good two minutes of me panicking about every cough I've ever had! I was then guided to a ladies waiting room and waited there for about 10 minutes.

The doctors app was next, it was a female doctor and she was british. She was so nice and kept talking to me the entire time to help me relax, I was a nervous wreck! I'm normally fine at a regular doctors but when the US government is involved...no way! We first went through the checklist and then she told me what would happen, she told me upfront that there would be a genital check and that it was to check for STDS (She said it was more to check for ulcers or discharge). She then took my height/weight, asked me to read the letters on the board, and then I sat down on the bed for my blood test. After that I put my bra and top back on, but took my trousers off and led down, she felt my heart rate (so high!) and checked my reflexes, felt my tummy to check my organs were all in place, and checked for a hernia. The genital check was just pulling my knickers to one side and that was it, took like two seconds, don't get yourself worked up about it. After that she took my blood pressure (I requested we did it last!), I normally have low blood pressure so for my blood pressure to actually be in the normal range was pretty shocking! haha, I was so nervous!

I didn't see what she said in the forms, but she said I was healthy and she didn't find anything (thank goodness for that!). Just need to wait 2-3 days for my blood test results and everything will be on its way to the embassy.

After that it was pay up time, I was up to date with my vaccinations (had the flu shot the day before at Tesco for £8!). £245 for that lovely experience! So glad to be done with it, but honestly handing over your credit card was the most painful bit.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

Ok, well here is my epic tale

I left work in Croydon at 11:30 to get to the medical practice for 13:30. Of course, I got there an hour early, bursting for the loo and with a bad back from the tube. I found some benches outside some museum by Manchester Square after half an hour of walking around aimlessly, so I spent the other half hour sitting there.

When the time came, I begrudgingly walked back to Bentinck Street and pressed the buzzer for #4. Surprisingly I was let in without having to announce myself over the intercom (was there even an intercom on the doorbell?).

It was easy enough to find the practice inside Bentinck Mansions, it is the first door on the right. I pushed it open and was invited to come up to the second window where a girl I recognised the voice of was staffing reception (I think her name is Jade). She asked what time my appointment was and then asked me to hand over my documents. I gave over my passport, passport pic, photocopy of the police certificate (they kept this) and my medical questionnaire. In return, she gave me another questionnaire with more detailed questions and asked me to complete it in the main waiting room and then bring it back to her. I did this and then waited. And waited.

Eventually the x-ray guy I have heard so much about called for me, and I followed him. This is where the undressing started, by far the most dreaded aspect of this whole appointment for me. Luckily I had a curtain to shield me and the robe I was given covered me well. It kept coming undone, though!

I had to press my chest into the x-ray plate and stand in a weird position, breathing in as much as I could while he took the picture. He loaded it on his screen and we discovered I have mild scoliosis in my upper chest/neck area. He said it wouldn't really affect me but would explain why one side of my rib cage sticks out more than the other Other than that, it was all fine.

He led me to the female waiting room and I waited in there for another millennium. An Asian doctor (I think her name is Teng) called for me, but as I was going in, another lady asked if she could borrow two minutes of the doctor's time before I was seen, so I had to sit back down and wait.

The interrupting lady turned out to be the vaccination nurse, who decided she would see me before Doctor Teng. We went over my vaccination paperwork from 2005 and it was decided I was exempt from the Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, and MMR vaccines. The only one I needed was influenza, so she stuck me with the needle which barely felt like anything. She told me someone else earlier on in the day screamed bloody murder when they had their flu jab xD

After that, I went back to the female waiting room and was called in by Doctor Teng about 2 minutes later. We went over my DVT history. She read my hospital notes and my GP letter, but decided all she needed was the GP letter. Just as a note, the GP letter was from Jan 2014 so it doesn't seem to matter when it was written as long as it's accurate.

Then came the fun part. After being weighed and measured, she did the usual ears, nose and mouth thing. Then she wanted to listen to my heart and lungs, so I had to remove the gown and was exposed. I've never had a naked exam before so it was a little awkward, but I felt okay. She let me put the gown back on after, then had me lay down while she felt my abdomen, asking if anything hurt when she pushed on it. Nothing did.

Now for the bit I was dreading the most: She had me pull my leggings and knickers right down, then she opened my legs and had a good old look at my business! I was so glad when she said I could pull them back up.

The blood test was challenging. I have tiny, non-existent veins, so finding one to stab was almost impossible. She tried a couple but got no blood. We had to settle for one on the top of my hand. I've had many blood tests over the past four years so I'm used to them, but for some reason after this one I felt incredibly light-headed and had to lie down. I think I was getting stressed over the fact she couldn't find a vein and was thinking I'd fail the medical for not having any blood

After all that, I was allowed to get dressed and go back to the main waiting room while the receptionists photocopied my paperwork. After another wait, I was called to reception by Jade and she gave me my passport and GP letter back. I paid by debit card and got a receipt along with a DS-2035 which showed my vaccination status as complete.

I felt quite rough on the journey back, but my arm doesn't hurt from the flu jab and there were no other lasting effects from anything. I even got over the loss of dignity which I thought would be impossible

[Ketsuban 1,034]

Want to add as an epilogue to my tale that I didn't get a call of doom from Knightsbridge (yay!) and that my medical results arrived at the embassy today like the receptionist said they would. Or at least I think they did, because my status update changed to today's date this afternoon.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Ketsuban

[Sabrina_T 22]

Had my medical today and it went well. Had chest x ray, Bloods taken, Blood pressure checked, Vision tested and a thorough body check including genitals.

All was great and then the doctor said I would need to contact my gp for a diabetic screening.

The earliest appointment I can get is November 10th. I'm worried as the interview won't be booked without medical results. Or can I contact the embassy un a week and ask?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Had my medical today and it went well. Had chest x ray, Bloods taken, Blood pressure checked, Vision tested and a thorough body check including genitals.

All was great and then the doctor said I would need to contact my gp for a diabetic screening.

The earliest appointment I can get is November 10th. I'm worried as the interview won't be booked without medical results. Or can I contact the embassy un a week and ask?

The interview will not be booked until they have the medical results unless they make a mistake and do it accidentally. Knightsbridge won't release the medical until they have what they need from your GP.

Can't you go to a private pay clinic and get the screening faster? Well if you want the visa anytime soon? Did you ask Knightsbridge if they could do it?

[Al422 221]

Although I have never needed a medical exam except for my own health, I have cancer, so believe me I have had plenty of those.

The most heavy handed people with the blood test needle are the doctors. My general physician is a rare exception, but the blood techs, who do it all day, are usually the best at it. When they do it I feel nothing.

For ladies, the bra has to come off for the chest xray because the metal hook in the back of your bra will mess it up. There is really no way around it. Don't worry if you get a male xray tech, and in the unlikely event he abuses you, report it immediately. My wife, with a med she did many years ago,got such a tech and reported him to the administration. He was fired immediately and arrested.

I have read some reports that female applicants are led from the xray room right to the doctor with the hospital gown still on, so bring a bag to put your shirt and bra in while this happens.

The doctor has to looik at your genitals, male and female. He/she is required to do so by CDC regulations and must check off a box that he/she did so. The reason is that urine and blood are only about 85% effective in screening for STDs for males and 60% for females. Like it or not, some applicants who come here end up as prostitues, and I am sure you can see the public health nightmare that would result if one single prostititue with an STD ends up on the street.

Besides these are medical doctors. In medical school, they learned to treat your genitals no differently than an arm or a leg. They are just body parts. The doctor is about as interested in looking at your body as a car mechanic is in looking at your brakes. It is just work to them.

You will find a lot of women doctors and foreign doctors doing these exams, as it is fairly low paying work for doctors. White male doctors are more interested in lucrative things like surgery.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Al422

[Cathymac 60]

Want to add as an epilogue to my tale that I didn't get a call of doom from Knightsbridge (yay!) and that my medical results arrived at the embassy today like the receptionist said they would. Or at least I think they did, because my status update changed to today's date this afternoon.

My status changed to the 23rd as well, wonder if they have added my medical results as well. I did the medical late Sept so I hope so.

[Cathymac 60]

I didn't post my medical experience on here, sorry. I was following though. Just like to add a couple of things for those yet to have it. The Dr I saw told me they do appreciate letters from GPs ( I took a page of a4 summarising my medical history and signed by my GP). My lawyer, forever wrong, told me they would ignore it. Also, don't tick anything as yes on either questionnaire without a letter from your doctor. A friend got held up two weeks by ticking something and not taking a letter. Her family practice had to be shaken by the coat tails to send the info to Knightsbridge.

[Ketsuban 1,034]

I didn't post my medical experience on here, sorry. I was following though. Just like to add a couple of things for those yet to have it. The Dr I saw told me they do appreciate letters from GPs ( I took a page of a4 summarising my medical history and signed by my GP). My lawyer, forever wrong, told me they would ignore it. Also, don't tick anything as yes on either questionnaire without a letter from your doctor. A friend got held up two weeks by ticking something and not taking a letter. Her family practice had to be shaken by the coat tails to send the info to Knightsbridge.

This part tripped me up a little because on the first questionnaire you fill out before you get there, it doesn't specifically ask about surgery, just hospital admissions. On the questionnaire you do at the medical, it asks about surgery, and I have had two outpatient ops on my jaw under general anaesthetic. In hindsight, I should have taken documentation anyway just in case surgery ever did come up, but the doctor felt no need since it was just to realign my jaw, not because I was ill or anything. Luckily I remembered the full name of the procedure, Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy, and she seemed to know what it was!

[yuna628 9,652]

Asking this question on behalf of my fiancé who would be taking this medical when the time comes. Obviously the form asks if you've ever been hospitalized before or had surgery. Now when he was probably 13 or 14 he sustained a pretty bad injury to his hand which required surgery to fix. He's almost 30 now, so would he actually require notes from his GP regarding the nature of the injury/surgery? Or is this something that doesn't need further explaining to Knightsbridge? Additionally, he does not recall if he ever had an MMR shot, which he will be going to find out when he sees his GP to update his vaccinations. But I recall around 2005 or so that on a trip to America, he contracted Mumps (there was an outbreak in the states). He did not see a doctor here about that, but my sister that works in the medical field was experienced enough to determine that he had it. We nursed him back to health poor guy. But he's concerned if this is something he'd need to disclose and is it still safe for him to receive the MMR vaccination?

[Al422 221]

The MMR is a pretty nasty shot, with 2 to 4 days of side effects. So unless you really need it, you really don't want it. If there is no record you ever received it, ask your private doctor or the NHS about a Titers test, a blood test that determines what shots you really need.

If you do need the MMR, get it, as it protects you from diseases that can kill you as an adult. But you really don't want to repeat it if not necessary.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Asking this question on behalf of my fiancé who would be taking this medical when the time comes. Obviously the form asks if you've ever been hospitalized before or had surgery. Now when he was probably 13 or 14 he sustained a pretty bad injury to his hand which required surgery to fix. He's almost 30 now, so would he actually require notes from his GP regarding the nature of the injury/surgery? Or is this something that doesn't need further explaining to Knightsbridge? Additionally, he does not recall if he ever had an MMR shot, which he will be going to find out when he sees his GP to update his vaccinations. But I recall around 2005 or so that on a trip to America, he contracted Mumps (there was an outbreak in the states). He did not see a doctor here about that, but my sister that works in the medical field was experienced enough to determine that he had it. We nursed him back to health poor guy. But he's concerned if this is something he'd need to disclose and is it still safe for him to receive the MMR vaccination?

It is kind of impossible to guess exactly what the doctor at Knightsbridge will want. No, illnesses like presumed mumps are generally not reported. The exception is chickenpox which should be reported to the nurse discussing the immunization record. Having chickenpox is the only childhood disease that can be self-reported and will excuse him from the varicella shot.

The hand surgery is probably not an issue Knightsbridge would want notes on, but you can't predict what they might think. They also have no way of knowing about it other than him telling them unless there are big scars or his hand looks deformed.

MMR shot- if he has no record of vaccination, get the shot. Two shots is the requirement. If he has one on record from childhood, then get another. If he has none on record, get Dose 1 right before the medical exam. He will be given a waiver for "insufficient time interval" and never have to get Dose 2. The time interval between doses is 28 days (4 weeks) so if 28 days has not passed, they can't give another dose and mark the waiver on his form. No the vaccine is not harmful, even if he had mumps. And the vaccine is a combo for three diseases and they can't take out the mumps part. It would be difficult to find a product for separate M, M, and R as companies generally do not produce those separately.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Nich-Nick