A senior NHS doctor has declared that the era of GPs signing 'fit to do' letters for patients is likely over for good, following a catastrophic skydiving accident that has led to a multi-million-pound lawsuit.
The Incident That Changed Everything
Dr Tim Mercer, an NHS GP, stated that a recent legal case is set to have a permanent impact on medical practice. The case involves Miriam Barker, a 21-year-old history and philosophy student from Southampton University. In 2018, she joined the university's Skydiving Society and, after obtaining a letter from a GP declaring her fit, made her first jump at Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon.
Although her parachute opened correctly at 3,500 metres, she landed with such force that she suffered a 'catastrophic' spinal cord injury, leaving her paralysed. Ms Barker, who paid £30 for the letter at a private appointment, is now seeking £15 million in compensation from the doctor involved.
Why GPs Are No Longer Willing to Sign
In a detailed explanation on TikTok, Dr Mercer said this tragedy signals 'the end of fit to do things letters from GPs for all eternity'. He explained that while he used to provide such notes, he will no longer attest that someone is medically fit for specific high-risk activities.
'I don't think I'm qualified to say I think somebody is fit to jump out of a plane, activate a parachute and land,' Dr Mercer elaborated. He extended this to other extreme pursuits like scuba diving with sharks or climbing Mount Everest, arguing that general practice training does not equip doctors to make such specialised assessments.
The core issue, he highlighted, is indemnity and disproportionate risk. The £30 fee for a private letter is negligible compared to the potential £15 million liability if something goes wrong. As the work is often private, the doctor may not be covered by standard medical defence organisations, leaving them personally exposed.
A New System Inspired by the DVLA
Dr Mercer proposed that the NHS should adopt a model similar to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to handle these requests. 'The DVLA doesn't say to the doctor, 'Is this person fit to drive?'' he noted. 'All they ask for is medical evidence and then their specially-trained assessor ultimately makes the decision.'
This system, he argued, removes the impossible burden from GPs and places the responsibility on experts trained to evaluate fitness for specific activities. He closed with a stark warning to both patients and colleagues, stating that the risk is simply too great. 'Why would anyone sign a letter for 30 quid... when they could be sued for £15 million?' he asked. For Dr Mercer, the days of these letters are unequivocally 'gone'.
NHS England has been invited to comment on the matter.
