London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[miss g 1]

i posted earlier about the photo size... doesnt anyone know whether they want america or would UK size photos be ok??

[Laura+Tom 2]

i posted earlier about the photo size... doesnt anyone know whether they want america or would UK size photos be ok??

I read somewhere that those who took a US sized one the nurse just cut it down to a UK sized one. So either I suppose.

[jhonscotland 2]

I had my medical today at Bentinck Mansions. I had Dr. Syad, the Asian lady. Very professional, to the point, but a touch too critical of my lifestyle for my personal likings. I was told that I was obese because I have a high BMI. In actual fact, I have a small belly going, but I'm a 6'3" rugby prop forward, so most of it isn't fat...

Added to the minor issue of being obese, I had an extremely high blood pressure. I think it was mainly due to rushing to the appointment on foot from Great Portland street at Mach 2 as I tried to be on time and the fact that in my rush to leave the house this morning I took both lemsip flu pills for today, instead of just one as I've had a pretty nasty cold the last week. I can't believe I did that, it was an absolute accident, but all the medicine really turned up my BP and I got marked down for that too.

Finally, as I have an alcohol-related offense, I was made to feel like a complete alcoholic as I'd had 1 pint the day before the medical, as I told her that I do not drink to excess anymore as my job is a helicopter pilot and it isn't worth my career to be found under the influence of alcohol, so I basically don't drink. Well cue the fact I'd had one the night before with friends and again, I should have thought but I was nervous and she made me feel quite little about the fact that I had "lied" to her, stating that alcoholics mask there drinking habits and she had to consider that I might be masking it.

Nevertheless, I had to have bloods taken to ensure I'm not a raving alcoholic and I have to have my GP check my BP regularly until it is at an acceptable level. Luckily, I made this appointment about 2 months before a potential interview, so even if there is an issue, I have time to solve it.

Total cost:

180 for the medical

60 for vacs

40 for bloods

280 quid total cost!

Quite annoyed with the way it went. Mainly with myself for making some rather silly mistakes in my personal administration, but slightly at the Doctor for being quite rude about the way I live my life. Advice is one thing, but making you feel downright stupid is not on.

Top tips: don't drink for a week before the medical, don't rush to get there - give yourself plenty of time, ensure you budget more than the basic 180 or you could be in trouble.

I had my medical on the same day, Feb 12th. I agree with you Paul, I found the doctor quite condescending too. She asked me if I smoked. I smoked for 20 years but gave up 5 years ago (something I am quite proud of). She looked at me like I had a cigarette in my mouth there and then. She made me feel as if I had done something so wrong. No congratulations, just a look as if to say, you have let all of humanity down.

Apart from that, I felt that the whole process was painless enough. Pretty much as I had expected after reading what everyone has written about their experiences on this website. Didn't take long either, I was only in there for about 30 minutes.

I also had to have a toxology test done for a DD (DUI) in 1986. Even though it was an extra cost and I can see many arguments against it, I sort of understand why. I definately recommend not drinking a week before the medical, just in case.

With regard to the size of the photo as to whether it should be US or UK size, I would ring and ask them. I think they are very approachable.

Its a great feeling after the medical because you know that is it, one more step. Just need my interview date to come thru then I can be on my way.

Good luck to all.

p.s. do VJers meet somewhere in London during the week? I would be interested in joining them.......

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

She was a snotty so-and-so to my husband when he did his medical in May 2007, even though he's never smoked, has approximately one alcoholic drink a year (when he has to deal with his brother-in-law) and is naturally slim. She told him he had overly skinny arms!

[Stinky Monkey 1]

i posted earlier about the photo size... doesnt anyone know whether they want america or would UK size photos be ok??

I took american size pics, did not see them cut them down but I have heard that they do this

I got my pics done on the way to the medical at snappy snaps at Bond Street tube, got 4 done so had the ones for the interview at the same time

[miss g 1]

I had my medical today, it was fine, i was worried about nothing the doctors and nurses were really nice and friendly we chatted they asked questions i answered nothing more..they accepted the uk size photos

[Furious Biscuit 0]

I have my medical on the 23rd and I have everything all ready - doctor's note for some medication I'm taking, immunization records, passport photo, passport, questionnaire.. am I forgetting anything? Thanks for all of the reviews on here. I don't feel nervous now because I know what to expect.

[Stinky Monkey 1]

I have my medical on the 23rd and I have everything all ready - doctor's note for some medication I'm taking, immunization records, passport photo, passport, questionnaire.. am I forgetting anything? Thanks for all of the reviews on here. I don't feel nervous now because I know what to expect.

yeah £180 hahahahahahahahaha

[Furious Biscuit 0]

I have my medical on the 23rd and I have everything all ready - doctor's note for some medication I'm taking, immunization records, passport photo, passport, questionnaire.. am I forgetting anything? Thanks for all of the reviews on here. I don't feel nervous now because I know what to expect.

yeah £180 hahahahahahahahaha

That'll hurt more than the needles

[miss g 1]

actually while i was in there.. i was thinking ohh this is the irish man they were talking about LOL.. but no dont worry just relax be yourself be ont he look out though they have some serious questions in the other questionnaire they give u.. askn about suicide and all sorts, and the doctor has to comment on your mood and how you look

[paul. 0]

Well my GP signed me off with perfect heart beat and blood pressure yesterday, so that'll be fixed for the snotty cow to mooch over. Now just waiting for the blood results, I think, I haven't heard anything yet...just hope she doesn't read VJ haha.

[Laurence+Lauren 0]

I’ve dreaded the medical since I first read about the K-1. Not only is there the blood test, but the fact you might learn you have some horrible disease you never knew you had. Still, it’s gotta be done, right?

I left home this morning just before 9am. It’s one of those times I really appreciate only living 2 hours from London. I’d spent the night previous suddenly remembering things I’d need to take along to the medical. Like my passport, vaccination records, and a passport photo. I double checked that I knew where I was going - Bentinck Mansions on Bentinck Street. It was the second of the two possible locations shown on the pdf from the embassy website.

I travelled in to London Victoria as I live in the South East. Then I took the Victoria line north one stop to Green Park, followed by another one stop journey north on the Jubilee line to get to Bond Street. Upon reaching street level I became painfully aware that the maps provided in the pdf document are pretty rubbish. Bond Street, the closest station, is on the very edge of the map. This makes orientating yourself very difficult as you‘ve essentially only got half of a map. Also, many roads are missing and there’s not a lot of detail. The map doesn’t quite capture the kinks in the road so what you’re looking at in the street doesn’t translate to what you see on the map. I’d recommend going to streetmap.co.uk and printing off a map at 1:2500 scale - at this level of detail, all roads are marked, even the little dead-end ones, and it also shows large shops like HMV for use as landmarks.

I took the liberty of photographing a simple route from Bond Street Tube station. From Bond Street you can come out on either side of Oxford Street. If you’re on the side with Footlocker, you need to be on the other side - the one HMV is on. Marylebone Lane forks onto Oxford Street opposite Footlocker, so there’s actually two turnings you could take (the map I had only showed one), both leading to the same place. It’s basically just a back-road and looks like this:

(note the multi-storey car-park with the lattice design on the side)

The end of the road looks like a dead-end, but keep going. The road continues on an offset but again the map doesn’t show you this. Wigmore Street is the intersecting road. At the end of Marylebone Lane you should be able to see the ####### & Lion pub:

Once you get to the end, standing on Wigmore Street and opposite the ####### & Lion, look to your half left and you will see that Marylebone Lane continues on the other side, curving around to the right. You need to keep going down that road:

(the road the cyclist is going down)

Continue down Marylebone Lane, and you will come to Bentinck Street, which crosses it left to right. Knightsbridge Doctors is in the building on the right corner nearest you. Take a right on Bentinck Street to get to the entrance:

The front of the building looks like this:

(I took this from across the street, opposite the road I’d come down. The door the lady with the pink stroller is emerging fromis the one you want.)

As you can see, there’s no big signs advertising their location, so it’s best to go by door numbers if you end up approaching from a different direction.

The door works on a buzzer system. Usually they just buzz you straight through, but when I arrived they said they were on a lunch break and to come back about 12:45. I must say I wasn’t impressed. I guessed this was my first taste of the snotty, arrogant conduct I’d read about in some of the other VJ reviews. I stood off on Wigmore Street for half an hour, counting cycle couriers and Japanese tourists, then came back for another try. This time I was buzzed straight in. At reception, I was asked to provide my medical questionnaire and passport photo, passport, and vaccination record, and then was asked to take a seat in the adjacent waiting room.

I didn’t have to wait too long, although I was prepared and had brought a couple of books with me! Soon I was called to see the nurse, who told me what vaccinations I was lacking. It was only the MMR that I needed, and I opted to have it there and then at a supplemental cost of £35. I’m okay with jabs - it was the blood test I was dreading! I was told I might come out with a fever, sore throat and lumps around the neck over the next few days. The nurse seemed quite professional, and certainly willing to answer questions.

After that I sat in a different waiting room for a few minutes until I was called by the radiologist. I was told to remove all clothing above the waist and press my chest against the plate with my hands in the small of the back to make a chicken-like posture - this is to get the shoulder blades out of the way. I knew the plate would be cold from reading another VJ post. But the doctor was cheerful and warm-hearted which more than made up for it! The lights went off, then on again and it was all done.

I returned to the first waiting room and watched a few other people get called. Then an attractive young lady called me and I followed, assuming she was a receptionist. She was in fact the doctor! I thanked whatever gods were smiling down on me for having given me a cute blonde doctor. In the room she sat me down and gave me a quick medical history interview - “Have you had this” and “Have you done that” - and I gave all ‘no’s, then apologised for having had a boring life!

The doctor asked me to remove my shoes, then she weighed me and measured my height. I guess she got a kind of ‘average’, as I wasn’t slouching but neither was I standing up as straight as I could have. If I had, she might not have been able to reach the top bar! She clocked me at 183cm.

She then asked me to stand behind a curtain and remove all but my boxer shorts. When I was finished I peered around the corner and caught her browsing on Facebook! I told her I was ready and she told me to lie down. My heart was pumping, getting a real workout, as I had no idea what tests to expect or when the blood test was going to happen. She took my pulse from my wrist - I’m guessing she rounded it to the nearest 100 bpm - then put the blood pressure thing on my arm and pumped me up to about 1300 psi. After that she listened to my heart with a stethoscope. All the while she didn’t say a word, until she announced she was going to lift the top of my boxer shorts. She asked me to cough and I did, while she checked for signs of any hernias. Again, without saying a word, she put a strap round my right arm. This was the bit I feared most - the blood test. I resigned myself to just let it happen.

Amazingly, I didn’t even feel light-headed afterwards. Perhaps she took more than one vial of blood but if she did, I didn’t notice her change bottles. I don’t know if lying down helped, or whether it was being almost naked and/or in the presence of an extremely hot doctor. Either way, it was a blood test masterfully administered!

As many others have stated, the most painful bit is paying! My bill came to £215 in total. I left the doctor’s feeling so very happy. Some of the reviews I’d read had been quite negative. I’d gone in there expecting to be treated abruptly and rudely and had been treated very well indeed. I guess there’s something to be said for that - if you go in there expecting poor treatment, anything better is a bonus. For those of you yet to take your medical, I wish you the best of luck and hope that you are blessed with the same level of care I received today!

Edited February 20, 2009 by Laurence+Lauren

[Furious Biscuit 0]

Thanks a tonne Laurence+Lauren, really great up-to-date and clear directions/photos and positive thinking. I'm grateful

[Laurence+Lauren 0]

Good luck on your medical, Furious! Hope it goes as smoothly as mine!

[Laura+Tom 2]

Great write up and the pictures were great too. Thanks.