On 17 September the BMA and the RCGP submitted a joint response to the Home Office consultation on statutory guidance to police on firearms licensing. The BMA and the RCGP have worked collaboratively with the Home Office and other key stakeholders including the National Police Chiefs Council, to improve the system for firearms licensing with the core aim of improving safety for the public whilst also recognising the professional and resource implications for doctors.
The response includes a significant number of changes that we believe would be helpful to ensure that the guidance can be effectively implemented at a local level by police authorities. Our priority has been to provide a response in sufficient detail that the perspectives of frontline GPs can be fully recognised, particularly as this consultation is in relation to statutory guidance. The consultation response also includes a flowchart on firearms licensing that is intended as a helpful guide for GPs and police authorities to follow through the various stages of the licensing process. Our joint response document and flowchart are attached, and will also be available on our website shortly. In the meantime, see our firearms support guide here.