We have two HSE Approved Medical Examiner of Divers (AMED), based in our convenient Glasgow city centre medical clinic.
If you would like to book, please email Dee at dee@brydenmedical.com with your name, date of birth, phone number, address and when you might like an appointment. The medicals take about 1-2 hours, and the certificate can be issued at the end of the medical.
This is a medical to assess fitness to dive and is for your safety, so please try to make sure that you are fit and well, and have an appropriate weight (BMI less than 30), if you can.
What to bring: Please bring a copy of your last HSE medical or the medical questionnaire (http://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/medical-requirements.htm) and if you are a new diver, countersigned by your own doctor. If you attend a specialist please bring your most recent report.
Please also bring some photo ID.
There is a Chester Step exercise test as part of the medical: This test gives your calculated aerobic capacity and involves stepping onto and off a 30cm box in time to a beat. At 2 minute intervals your heart rate is measured. Every two minutes, you will be asked about your exertion level, and then the stepping rate increases slightly. The test will stop when you reach about 80% of your calculated maximum heart rate or before if you feel unwell. The aerobic capacity aimed for is 45 litres O2/kg/min or more. You may wish to bring shorts +/- training shoes for this.
As this test relies on pulse rate, it can be affected by anything that may affect your pulse. So for example, please avoid alcohol, particularly in larger quantities if you can, for the day or so before the test. If you are travelling a great distance before your medical, you may prefer to arrive the day before in Glasgow to avoid being very tired.
If you have any questions please contact us on dee@brydenmedical.com or call + 44 (0)141 226 2530.