London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[vocaledge 3,340]

On 5/16/2017 at 3:24 PM, GazLisa said:

Omg 😲 😂😂 I've never caught my willy in my zipper 😂😂😂😂I needed that laugh 

I have!  Actually led to circumcision and a night in hospital at 6 years old.... Thats why it made me laugh ALOT!

[aless02 9]

On 6/27/2017 at 2:55 PM, aless02 said:

Husband just finished his medical and here is his report:

 

Checked in, gave paperwork to receptionist. Was given the second medical questionnaire and bottle for urine sample. Did his urine sample (very swanky bathrooms) and then filled in the paperwork. Was called in for chest X-ray within 5 minutes. Very friendly tech, super nice and chatty. Got dressed and returned to waiting room. Seen by female doctor for the medical. She had read his questionnaire and medical summary prior, as she straight away went through questions. He has some mental health history, so she questioned a few points on this, but he said it never felt like "grilling", just a few clarification points. She was interested in his diagnosis as it was relatively late in life, though she seemed satisfied with his response that he didn't seek help until 2009.

 

She then went through the medications, remarking that she'd never heard of the one he was taking for mental health and that was interesting to know. She then did the physical exam. He does have some self-harm scars (GP letter talks about this), but she didn't really seem too interested or bothered...didn't ask what made him harm or the circumstances. He said she was more interested in his tattoos than the scars!  All physical stuff was fine, she went through it pretty quickly and efficiently. His impression was pretty positive, though she didn't give too much away in her demeanor or questioning. She didn't ask or allude to using alcohol/drugs in connection with his mental health, ask about suicidal ideations or hospitalizations. She didn't seem to dig much beyond the surface, which we take as a good sign she was satisfied with the letters & his statements.

 

Got dressed, went back into waiting room. He was called in to get an MMR as they weren't satisfied with his 1980s NHS yellow card, lol. I reckon he could've quibbled this, as it's pretty obvious he had the full MMR as a baby, but I had told him not to argue for the sake of £50. (his current GP did not have an official vaccination record, so we were hoping the little card would be sufficient...) he said the nurse was also extremely nice & friendly.

 

Went back to reception. Paid £350. Was told they would forward his info onto the embassy and call if "there were any issues with the X-ray or blood". All in all, they gave a positive impression that they wouldn't need more information or refer to psychiatrist. However, it only happened today and I know they can call you several days later, so I'll update here accordingly if they do come back wanting anything else.

 

For reference, my husband took in a brief letter from his GP covering his physical health history, very brief statement about mental health & self-harm incident and the "not likely to be harm to self or others, etc" sentence. He also had a letter from his CMHS therapist & appointed pysch that also had the magic phrase and few paragraph recommendation about his condition, that he was doing well, positive outlook, etc.

I promised to come back and update! It's been a SAGA and not for the reasons we expected!

 

Basically two days after his medical, Knightsbridge called that he needed to come back as there was an indeterminate 'spot' on his lungs. They couldn't tell it was a blip or a TB indicator. So he went down to London the next day (Friday) to get a second chest x-ray. The tech was really nice, they took a zoomed-in x-ray of the area in question. On Monday, the Dr who had seen him called him to say the x-ray was clear and his file was going for sign-off by the panel physician. No mention of mental health, so guess she was happy with how he presented himself and his letters!

 

Unfortunately, Tuesday (4th of July) was a public holiday, which effectively meant there was only 1 working day between his medical being complete and the interview. As expected, the embassy did not have it yet, so he got the dreaded 221(g) blue form just for that. However, the Con Off knew they'd get the medical in the next day or two. (he called Knightsbridge and they confirmed it was sent on Monday)

 

Also to let everyone know, there's tons of screens in the embassy stating current processing times (i.e., from approval to receipt by courier) of 17 working days!! They're really busy right now.

[James Webb 2]

On 2017-5-8 at 10:43 PM, VisaDJ said:

So, I had my medical at the end of last week... Thought i'd throw my experiences out there to (hopefully) make anyone going through the process feel better about it, because it really was very easy and non-stressful (and that's coming from someone who suffers from anxiety!).

 

1 - Travelled to Baker Street and walked to the medical location (Bentinck Street), which took somewhere between 10 and 15 mins. Was very straightforwards (although Google Maps was helping). Very nice street and building, as you'd expect, given the area.

2 - Buzzed on the door and went into the building about 10 minutes early (they are located on the ground floor, on the right hand side as you go into the building) and was told by reception I'd have to sit in the waiting area until my actual appointment time, which I did.

3 - Went back to reception 10 minutes later and they simply asked if I had all the required paperwork, which I then handed over. They gave me a clipboard with a couple of basic forms (with yes/no type questions) and also a red plastic bag with a small bottle for me to provide a urine sample.

4 - Filled in the forms in the waiting area, then brought the forms back to reception and after handing them back, went into the bathroom for the sample (the bathroom is right in front of the reception windows), and handed that in, inside the red bag.

5 - Waited for about 10 mins or so and was then called through by a young, male doctor, for the medical examination and blood sample. He was extremely professional and pleasant, and I felt very much at ease throughout. He ran through the forms I had filled in, the medical summary from my GP and asked various questions, which were all very non-intrusive and basic. At no point did I feel as though I was being grilled or anything like that. As other people have mentioned, with most responses (such as asking about chickenpox) they are willing to just take your word for. After the paperwork was done, he asked me to strip down to my underwear (he said that no genital examination was required - not sure why), which I did beside a medical bed, with a curtain pulled across for privacy (although it was only him and I in the room, anyway). Once I was ready I gave him a shout and he came and took my blood pressure as I sat on the bed, and then listened to my heartbeat, breathing etc. before asking me to lay down so he could examine me, which basically consisted of him pressing various areas on my stomach, sides and back - all very run of the mill and non-invasive. Once that was done, I continued to lay down as he took some blood - he asked how I was with having that done, and I explained that I wasn't the best with needles and he was very understanding and comforting (even asked if I wanted any water before starting), and made small talk with me as he took the sample... I really do hate having blood taken but it was all over in about 15 seconds and aside from the initial sharp scratch, was pretty painless. He then told me I could lay / sit there for as long as I needed to, just in case I felt faint, after which I could get dressed and go back to the main waiting area. All in all, I was probably in there for 15 minutes max (but probably closer to 10).

6 - After returning to the waiting area and waiting for another 5-10 mins, I was called through for my chest x-ray, by a very friendly and jovial guy... Again, he was relaxed and understanding and guided me through the process with a few jokes. After being in the room for all of 1 minute the x-ray was done and he viewed it immediately and told me on the spot that it was fine. I then headed back to the waiting area, for what he said would be the final stage of the medical, with one of the nurses.

7 - After another 5 minutes or so, the nurse called me through - another very friendly and relaxed person, who made small talk about my wedding and said congratulations etc after seeing I was on a K1 visa. She looked through my vaccinations and said that I needed to have a total of 2 Tetanus jabs and a total of 3 MMR jabs, but as there wasn't time for that before my interview, she signed me off there and then and just advised me to get the next two jabs (the 3rd MMR should be done later in the year, she said) before I went to the US - mainly for monetary reasons.

8 - Went back to the waiting room and after a few minutes a receptionist called me back round to the desk and handed back my passport, police certificate etc. and asked for payment.
9 - Paid the £290 and was told that unless they needed anything else from me (very unlikely), I wouldn't hear from them again and they'd have my results over to the embassy within 5 working days.... That was it... All done!!

10 - Walked out into the sweet afternoon air, having gotten through something that I was unbelievably nervous and anxious about, and realised that I really was worrying about nothing. It was a breeze.

 

In total, I was probably there for about 1hr 15 mins, and most of that was in the waiting room; the actual medical sections were very quick!

Good luck to anyone else that has their medical in the near future - you honestly have nothing to worry about!

Do you remember which document you used of proof of your case number? Was it a letter from the nvc (mailed to your fiance) or did you wait for the embassy to send you the packet?

 

Cheers

[Amainzing 18]

8 minutes ago, James Webb said:

Do you remember which document you used of proof of your case number? Was it a letter from the nvc (mailed to your fiance) or did you wait for the embassy to send you the packet?

 

Cheers

Not the OP but I had my medical 2 weeks ago and I was able to give them the letter my fiance received from the NVC as proof of case number, though you can also use the CEAC website printout as proof (if you haven't received the letter from the embassy, as I haven't).

[James Webb 2]

31 minutes ago, Amainzing said:

Not the OP but I had my medical 2 weeks ago and I was able to give them the letter my fiance received from the NVC as proof of case number, though you can also use the CEAC website printout as proof (if you haven't received the letter from the embassy, as I haven't).

I called my medical doctors and they said they need something with the case number and name on it.

 

On the CEAC website it does not give my name, unless i'm doing something wrong?

 

Do you know how long it took your fiance to revieve the letter after it appeared at "ready"?

[Amainzing 18]

16 hours ago, James Webb said:

I called my medical doctors and they said they need something with the case number and name on it.

 

On the CEAC website it does not give my name, unless i'm doing something wrong?

 

Do you know how long it took your fiance to revieve the letter after it appeared at "ready"?

No, you are correct, it does not say your name on the ceac website, though multiple people have used the screenshot successfully. I think it took him 2-3 weeks after the NOA2 (I was not aware of the ceac website at the time), though his postal service is a bit iffy, so ymmv.

[James Webb 2]

Am i going crazy? 

 

I thought we had to pay a fee to schedule an interview at the us embassy. I've only paid 18 GBP for the courier service.

 

Am i wrong?

 

 

[GazLisa 1,168]

When I go for my medical next week I had a BCG injection as a child at my school,will this effect my results on the TB test you take at Knightsbridge,do I need to be worried 

Edited July 18, 2017 by GazLisa

[Wuozopo 4,293]

42 minutes ago, GazLisa said:

When I go for my medical next week I had a BCG injection as a child at my school,will this effect my results on the TB test you take at Knightsbridge,do I need to be worried 

 

No

[TriloByte 1,818]

On 7/18/2017 at 11:11 AM, James Webb said:

Am i going crazy? 

 

I thought we had to pay a fee to schedule an interview at the us embassy. I've only paid 18 GBP for the courier service.

 

Am i wrong?

 

 

I paid the fee when I scheduled the interview. It was 265 USD. Not sure if you should be happy or worried.

[James Webb 2]

8 hours ago, TriloByte said:

I paid the fee when I scheduled the interview. It was 265 USD. Not sure if you should be happy or worried.

Yes i actually made an error, i had to delete my appointment and everthing that went with it.

 

Made a new account (different email) and clicked on the correct instructions which led me to paying 265 USD.

 

I hope i've got it all fixed now!

[TriloByte 1,818]

My fiance has written the following review of her medical:

 

 

 

The medical: my experience. 

(For women)

 

 

 

Bentinck Mansions is 2.5 miles from Victoria Coach Station. There's a row of taxis parked at the exit of Victoria, my taxi fare on a Thursday mid-afternoon was £12.50. Knightsbridge Doctors is located almost on the corner of Bentinck Street. The surrounding streets have high-end boutiques, restaurants, and bars. There are stairs leading up to Knightsbridge Doctors and a panel of buzzers. You need to buzz Flat 4.

 

When you are buzzed in you will go through two sets of doors and up a few steps. There's an elevator directly in front of you and a door to the right with a large gold sign saying Knightsbridge Doctors. You don't need to knock, just walk in. You go into a fairly large rectangular entrance hall which has an office to the right with two hatches (no glass partition), and a bathroom to the left. Give your name and they'll ask you for the documents listed on your Knightsbridge appointment confirmation e-mail.

 

They take photocopies of each document and photocopies of your passport pages. They then collate some sets of paperwork and glue your four passport photos to the top sheets of the sets. They keep those pages, you won't see them. You're then given a clipboard and a pen with a 3-page questionnaire and a red plastic bag with a sterile pot inside. You're told to go to the bathroom, fill up the pot halfway with pee. Put the pot in the red bag, seal it, and return it to the hatch. Then go into the waiting room and fill in your questionnaire. There are signs on the walls telling you not to use mobile phones.

 

The waiting room is light and airy with leather sofas and a chandelier. I waited for about 30 minutes and then was called. You walk down a long corridor and go into a room where they will discuss your vaccinations and ask you when your planned return travel dates are. And if your wedding is booked and if so what is the date of the wedding. You then leave that room and are asked to return to the main waiting room.

 

Then you will be called by a different doctor to a different room - the x-ray doctor. You're asked to go behind a curtain, take off your bra and top and any jewelry and put on a hospital gown, ensuring the ties are tied at the back. You also have to tie up your hair, they supply hair clips if you haven't brought your own. Draw back the curtain when you're ready and you'll be directed to stand at the x-ray machine, place your chin on the chin rest, and the doctor will position your arms. Hold your breath while the x-ray is taken. I was given two x-rays. There's a large screen in the room where you can see your own x-ray. The doctor looks at it closely while you are in there.

 

Then you're told to go back behind the curtain, put your bra back on but not your top, return the hair clip, and switch your gown around so the ties are at the front. Then you are shown to the female-only waiting room. I waited around 45 minutes in this waiting room in my gown and then was called by the third and last doctor (a lady). The doctor reads your questionnaire and asks you to repeat back the answers you have given. Then you will discuss any surgery you have had, what medications you take, what you are allergic to, and all past and current conditions. They carefully read the medical history you have supplied from your GP, ask you if all is correct, and ask you to put your signature on some paperwork.

 

Your height and weight are then measured, and you read the eye-chart forwards and backward. You're then asked to go behind a curtain and remove all clothes but keep your underwear on, put the gown back on and sit on the bed. A light is shined into your eyes with a torch, the eyes are closely examined. They ask if you use glasses or contacts. They then look in your mouth, down your throat, and inside your ears. Then you are asked to lie down. The doctor switches on a lamp above the bed and inspects your skin very closely and slowly. If you have any scratches, marks or scars they will ask you what they are. Then they listen to the chest and do an examination of the abdomen; pushing/prodding it. They hit both knees with a rubber hammer to test your reaction. If you have long hair, they lift it up and look at your neck and back. They lift the waistband of the knickers slightly and quickly but do not inspect the genitals. At no point do you remove your underwear; there are signs on the walls telling you to keep your underwear on. They ask you if you have children or have ever been pregnant. Then your blood is taken.

 

Then you get dressed and go back and sit with the doctor at their desk, while they write notes and fill in forms for quite a while, then you are asked to leave the room and go back to reception. You return the gown, pay the fee, and are given a receipt and paperwork that you must keep. My total time spent in there was two and a half hours.

Edited July 23, 2017 by TriloByte

[Amainzing 18]

3 hours ago, TriloByte said:

You're asked to go behind a curtain, take off your bra and top and any jewelry and put on a hospital gown, ensuring the ties are tied at the back...

 

Then you're told to go back behind the curtain, put your bra back on but not your top, return the hair clip, and switch your gown around so the ties are at the front. Then you are shown to the female-only waiting room.

2

I don't know whether or not to be concerned about this, but I'm a female and almost none of this happened to me!! At no point was I given a gown, or directed to a female only waiting room. I only had to remove my bra once for the xray, and for the remainder of the appointment I was kept in my own clothes, stayed in the same male/female mixed waiting room, had my examination done by a male doctor, and was allowed to use my mobile phone throughout! My reflexes were not tested, and neither was my skin/neck/back examined (or my underwear touched.)

Seems very strange that our experiences were so different, and my medical was only about 3 weeks ago, so I doubt the difference was due to time :/

 

EDIT: By "almost none of this" I meant the examination, everything else was pretty much identical to my experience.

Edited July 23, 2017 by Amainzing
Clarification

[TriloByte 1,818]

1 hour ago, Amainzing said:

I don't know whether or not to be concerned about this, but I'm a female and almost none of this happened to me!! At no point was I given a gown, or directed to a female only waiting room. I only had to remove my bra once for the xray, and for the remainder of the appointment I was kept in my own clothes, stayed in the same male/female mixed waiting room, had my examination done by a male doctor, and was allowed to use my mobile phone throughout! My reflexes were not tested, and neither was my skin/neck/back examined (or my underwear touched.)

Seems very strange that our experiences were so different, and my medical was only about 3 weeks ago, so I doubt the difference was due to time :/

 

EDIT: By "almost none of this" I meant the examination, everything else was pretty much identical to my experience.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

I would suggest not being concerned if it's something that didn't happen to you. You are past it now, right?

 

I think it's reasonable to assume that they treat each medical different on a case by case basis (because of differences in medical history/conditions). For example, she had spinal surgery years ago which necessitated the hammer reflex test. This was her review. The value is not found in one review, but when you add all reviews together to get an idea of the many possible things that might happen.

 

Regarding the phone, people ignore signs, but the fact remains, that signs are posted. If you chose to ignore them, that's your choice. She was just making people who generally follow rules aware.

 

Regarding the underwear part, it's clearly written on the Knightsbridge website that external genitalia is examined, so nothing concerning to us: http://www.visamedicals.info/us-examination.asp

 

"All applicants will have a full medical examination with one of the Embassy's appointed doctors. The examination consists,at a minimum,of a physical examination of eyes,ears,nose,throat,extremities,heart,lungs,abdomen,lymph nodes,skin and external genitalia."

 

 

Edited July 23, 2017 by TriloByte

[Amainzing 18]

9 minutes ago, TriloByte said:

Thanks for your feedback.

 

I would suggest not being concerned if it's something that didn't happen to you. You are past it now, right?

 

I think it's reasonable to assume that they treat each medical different on a case by case basis (because of differences in medical history/conditions). For example, she had spinal surgery years ago which necessitated the hammer reflex test. This was her review. The value is not found in one review, but when you add all reviews together to get an idea of the many possible things that might happen.

 

Regarding the phone, people ignore signs, but the fact remains, that signs are posted. If you chose to ignore them, that's your choice. She was just making people who generally follow rules aware.

 

Regarding the underwear part, it's clearly written on the Knightsbridge website that external genitalia is examined, so nothing concerning to us: http://www.visamedicals.info/us-examination.asp

 

"All applicants will have a full medical examination with one of the Embassy's appointed doctors. The examination consists,at a minimum,of a physical examination of eyes,ears,nose,throat,extremities,heart,lungs,abdomen,lymph nodes,skin and external genitalia."

 

 

That is correct. As to the phone, I am of the kind that always follows those kinds of rules, but I did not once see anything regarding not being allowed to use my phone while waiting. There may have been something specific about loud phone calls, but nothing about using the phone to text, surf the internet etc, and others were indeed using their phones. I also cannot recall anyone else mentioning this previously, so it may be new? As for the last part, I was aware that this was a possibility, but did not apply to me specifically - on that note they also did not check my nose, throat or extremities.