At ShootCert, we take medical verification seriously. That’s why we work to ensure that all medical notes used in our assessments are as reliable, accurate, and trustworthy as possible—not just for the peace of mind of applicants, but also to uphold the standards expected by UK firearms licensing authorities. One of the most important steps in this process is receiving a copy of an applicant’s medical notes directly from their GP practice.
Why Direct from GP Matters
The Home Office statutory guidance to Chief Officers of Police makes it clear: the medical information used in firearms licensing decisions must be accurate, objective, and obtained from credible sources. The guidance advises that when assessing an applicant’s suitability to hold a firearm or shotgun certificate, police forces should rely on evidence received directly from healthcare providers—not indirectly via applicants themselves. This principle is echoed in police force practice across the country, as a safeguard against potential tampering, omissions, or misunderstandings.
Receiving notes directly from the GP practice ensures that:
Full Medical Records – Not Just a Summary
It’s also important to understand that ShootCert requires a full and complete copy of the applicant’s medical history, not just a summary. A summary may omit critical information relevant to a firearms suitability assessment—such as past mental health episodes, substance misuse, or conditions that could impair judgement or behaviour. For our reports to be compliant with police expectations and Home Office guidance, we must review the entire medical record, including historical diagnoses, medications, and consultations. This comprehensive approach ensures our assessments are thorough, defensible, and trusted by licensing authorities.
At ShootCert, we follow this guidance rigorously and encourage applicants and GP practices to do the same.
NHS GP Practices and Data Sharing Clarity
There has been recent confusion in some GP practices about whether they are permitted to send patient records directly to trusted third parties like ShootCert. However, this has been clarified in recent NHS communications. Practices can and should send full medical records directly to organisations supporting statutory processes, such as firearms licensing. For further reading, please see this important update published by Newport Pagnell Medical Centre, which outlines how GP practices can lawfully comply with these requests in line with patient consent and statutory obligations.
Our Record: Trusted, Transparent, Consistent
We’re proud to share that 93.77% of the medical notes we receive are sent directly from GP practices to ShootCert. This high percentage demonstrates not only our commitment to integrity, but also the strong relationships we maintain with healthcare providers across the UK.
Of the remaining 6.23% of cases, medical notes are sent to us via the applicant. Importantly, this only happens when the applicant’s GP practice has explicitly refused to send the notes directly to us—a situation that is unfortunately outside of the applicant’s control.
We make every effort to minimise these occurrences, and in every such case, we follow up with detailed scrutiny to ensure the notes provided are valid, complete, and unmodified. ShootCert may also require evidence that the GP practice has refused to cooperate directly.
What If My GP Refuses to Send Notes Direct to ShootCert?
This is a relatively rare scenario, but we understand it can be frustrating. That’s why we’ve provided clear guidance in our Frequently Asked Questions section on what to do if your GP practice declines to send your notes directly to us. We advise applicants to:
- Request a written explanation from the GP practice stating their refusal.
- Forward that statement along with the medical notes to ShootCert.
- Follow our additional verification steps outlined in the FAQs.
You can read the full FAQ entry here.
Earning the Trust of Applicants and Police Forces
With a robust system built around integrity, compliance, and transparency, ShootCert is proud to be the most recommended provider of firearms medical reports in the UK. We align closely with statutory guidance and police expectations to ensure that every report we produce is thorough, impartial, and dependable.
Whether you’re an applicant, a police licensing officer, or a medical professional, you can trust that ShootCert has the procedures in place to protect the integrity of every application—and ultimately, to support public safety.