If your club uses the UK Diving Medical Committee (UKDMC) recreational diving declaration, a "Yes" answer or uncertainty about a medical question needs advice from a UKDMC Medical Referee. A general GP letter is not automatically a substitute. Check the exact form and the required doctor's qualification before paying for an appointment.
Key points
- UKDMC declaration guidance distinguishes self-declaration from the Medical Referee route. [1]
- UKDMC guidance directs a "Yes" answer or uncertainty to a Medical Referee. [1]
- UKDMC guidance says members review their declaration annually at membership renewal. [1,2]
- UKDMC guidance allows all-"No" declarations without a routine doctor signature on pages 2 and 3. [1,2]
The useful first step is not to book any available "fitness certificate". It is to find out which organisation's rules apply to your dive and what evidence they require. That avoids a consultation which cannot produce the document your club, course provider or operator will accept.
Ask about supporting GP advice for your diving paperwork
Which diving medical form does your operator require?
Ask your diving club, instructor or operator for the current medical form and any instructions that go with it. Tell them whether you are planning recreational club diving, a course or an overseas trip. Do not assume every operator uses the UKDMC system, or that a recreational form covers working as a diver.
The UKDMC explains the declaration system used by the UK organisations covered by its form. Its process distinguishes between people who can complete a declaration themselves and people who need specialist advice. This article explains that route; it does not replace another operator's rules. [1]
Keep the actual form, not just a screenshot of its title. The questions, notes and doctor's section determine what assessment and signature are needed. If the operator has supplied a different form, ask who may complete it and whether they require an in-person examination or particular tests.
What if every relevant declaration answer is "No"?
Under the UKDMC process, divers answering "No" to all the questions on page 1 can complete that page without routinely obtaining a doctor's signature on pages 2 and 3. The declaration must be truthful. The UKDMC says members review it annually on membership renewal. [1,2]
This is not an invitation to choose the answer that avoids an appointment. Read every question, including its time period and any references to medicines or previous conditions. If you are not sure how to answer, contact a UKDMC Medical Referee for advice rather than guessing.
Completing a form does not turn a general online article into personal medical clearance. New symptoms, illness or a change in treatment may need attention even when an earlier declaration was straightforward.
What if an answer is "Yes" or you are unsure?
The UKDMC form says people answering "Yes" to a question on page 1 must seek advice from a UKDMC Medical Referee. Its instructions also direct people who are unsure to that route. You may need to complete pages 2 and 3 and send the relevant information as agreed with the referee. [2]
An examination is not inevitable. The referee may be able to advise after a telephone or email enquiry, may request information from your GP or specialist, or may need to examine you and arrange further assessment. The appropriate route depends on the issue, not just how quickly you need a signature. [1,2]
A GP who knows your medical history may have an important supporting role. However, being a registered GP does not, by itself, establish that the doctor is a UKDMC Medical Referee. Confirm the required qualification and process before you book. This guide does not claim that The Online GP provides UKDMC Medical Referee assessments.
What if you already have a certificate?
A previous certificate does not remove the need to check changes in your health. The UKDMC describes circumstances in which an existing referee-signed document can continue to be used. It must remain in date, with no relevant new condition, significant change or change in treatment requiring further advice. Follow the instructions on your own document. [1,2]
If your health has changed, your certificate has expired or you are uncertain whether the earlier advice still applies, ask the referee. Do not treat a new prescription, new symptom or recent medical problem as something that can wait automatically until the next annual form.
The UKDMC specifically says a new health problem producing a new "Yes" answer needs advice in the interim, rather than waiting for annual renewal. [1]
What should you gather before seeking diving medical advice?
Send what the referee requests through the route they specify. Useful preparation may include
- The current diving form and the club or operator's instructions.
- Your planned diving or course dates.
- Details of the question you answered "Yes" to or are unsure about.
- Your current medication list and relevant specialist letters or results.
- Any previous diving medical certificate, including its restrictions and expiry date.
Do not stop prescribed treatment to change an answer on the declaration. If relevant records are missing, ask how they can be obtained with your permission. The referee may need information from your usual GP or treating specialist rather than a new general letter that adds little clinical detail.
If you need a general GP discussion about symptoms or help understanding what records are available, contact The Online GP team with the exact request before booking. Ask what the appointment can and cannot provide. For UKDMC fitness advice, use the recognised referee route rather than assuming a general consultation will complete it.
Check whether a general GP discussion has a useful role
What should you check about costs and timing?
UKDMC guidance says medical assessment, requested reports and any additional investigations may be at the diver's expense. The fee depends on what is needed and should be agreed with the relevant clinician. This guide does not quote a price or promise a turnaround. [1,2]
Explain your deadline when you first enquire, but do not leave medical review until the day before travel. Further records, an examination or specialist tests may be needed. A signature cannot be promised before the doctor has considered the information.
Ask your operator what happens if assessment is not complete in time. Do not assume a booking, deposit or travel itinerary changes the medical requirements.
How can you share medical information privately?
The UKDMC instructions distinguish the medical history pages from the certificate page. Pages 1 and 2 contain information for the diver and Medical Referee; the form instructs divers to give their branch or club a copy of page 3. Follow the current form and any agreed handling instructions rather than sending your entire medical history to everyone organising the trip. [2]
Keep the original certificate and any restrictions somewhere you can find them before future diving. A certificate is useful only if you understand the conditions and know when to seek further advice.
How can you separate the diving decision from a general GP appointment?
Write down the question the referee needs answered before buying another consultation. A request for a medication list is different from a request for a specialist opinion or a new examination. Ask who should provide the information and whether an existing report is sufficient. This helps avoid paying for a general letter that repeats your account without supplying the evidence the referee needs.
If you contact The Online GP about supporting information, explain that the purpose is to support the recognised diving-medical route, not to bypass it. The team should be able to consider whether a general GP appointment has a useful role before you choose one. This article does not establish UKDMC referee status for the service, promise an examination package or offer a certificate on demand.
What should you check when a trip involves several operators?
One holiday may include a training provider, a local dive operator and an insurer, each asking for different documents. Ask each recipient what it requires and keep the replies with your booking information. Do not assume that a certificate accepted by your UK club settles the requirements of every overseas operator. The UKDMC explanation describes its own declaration system, not a worldwide guarantee of acceptance. [1]
Make a short document list identifying the current form, who completes each section and where it must be sent. Keep medical-history information separate from the certificate intended for the club. Where an operator asks for more information than you expected, clarify the purpose and the appropriate recipient before sharing an entire clinical record. The current UKDMC form gives specific handling instructions for its pages. [2]
How can you prepare a useful summary for the referee?
Use dates and documents rather than an optimistic account of how you feel today. Note the question that prompted the referral, the name of any relevant treating clinician and which reports you already have. You do not need to create a medical conclusion yourself. Distinguish facts you can document from a detail you cannot remember, and tell the referee where further information might be obtained.
Check that a medicine list describes what you actually take and that an older specialist letter is not being mistaken for a current assessment. If your health or treatment has changed since the letter, say so. Do not adjust prescribed treatment to make the declaration simpler. The referee can explain what information matters to the diving decision and whether another clinician needs to contribute. [1,2]
What should you keep after receiving medical advice?
Read the advice and any certificate together. Check restrictions, the period of validity and what the clinician says to do if your health changes. Ask for clarification before the trip if you do not understand a condition. Keep a usable copy accessible, but follow the referee's and operator's instructions about originals and submission rather than assume a photograph on your phone will always be enough.
The aim is an informed decision about a specific activity. A completed declaration does not mean every future dive, illness or medicine change is covered indefinitely. If a new issue creates uncertainty, seek advice through the appropriate referee route rather than treating the paperwork as permission to ignore it. This is the distinction that protects both your time and the usefulness of the medical assessment.
Where can you read more about related appointments?
Our guides to tandem skydiving medical forms and ENG1 and ML5 seafarer medicals explain why activity-specific paperwork matters. The online GP consultation route is separate from a UKDMC Medical Referee assessment and should only be chosen for a defined, appropriate GP purpose.
Discuss specifically requested GP records
What else should you know before booking?
Does every recreational diver need a GP medical?
Not under the UKDMC declaration route. Someone who can truthfully answer "No" to every page 1 question can complete that page themselves. A "Yes" answer or uncertainty requires advice from a UKDMC Medical Referee. Check the form your own operator uses because other systems may have different requirements.
Can any GP sign the UKDMC certificate?
Do not assume so. The UKDMC process specifies a UKDMC Medical Referee for the relevant medical advice and certification. A GP or specialist may supply requested supporting information, but general registration does not itself establish referee status. Confirm the required qualification before buying a general medical-letter appointment.
Does a "Yes" answer mean I cannot dive?
Not automatically. It means you need the appropriate medical advice before relying on the declaration route. The referee decides what information or assessment is needed and whether a restriction or further review applies. Do not change an answer, omit treatment or assume an online article can settle your individual fitness.
Will I always need an in-person examination?
No. UKDMC guidance explains that some enquiries can be addressed by telephone or email, while others require records, examination or investigations. Agree that process with the referee first. Booking a different type of consultation before you know what is required can leave the original medical question unanswered.
Can I keep using last year's certificate?
Check its validity, restrictions and whether your health or treatment has changed. Follow the current declaration instructions and seek referee advice if a new problem creates a "Yes" answer or uncertainty. An unexpired certificate is not a reason to ignore a significant change until the next annual renewal.
Does a general fit-to-travel letter cover scuba diving?
Do not assume it does. Check the diving form and the qualification required of the signing clinician. A general travel letter, recreational diving certificate and working-diver medical serve different purposes. Obtain the operator's actual requirements before paying so the assessment addresses the document you need.
How can you choose the right diving medical route?
Obtain the current form, read it carefully and check who must assess it. If the UKDMC declaration points you to a Medical Referee, follow that route before buying a general certificate appointment. If a GP report is requested as supporting evidence, ask what information is needed so the consultation has a clear purpose.
Last updated 8 November 2026. This article is general information and is not a substitute for medical advice about your own health. In an emergency call 999.
Which sources support this guide?
[1] UKDMC, Medical Self Declaration System Explanation.
[2] UKDMC, Recreational Diver Medical Declaration form. Use the version supplied or confirmed by your club and check its instructions; do not rely on a remembered form title alone.
Message the team about supporting diving-medical information