GPs and New Passport Form
GPs have
historically varied their approach to signing passport forms for patients.
Attitudes range from those who regard the opportunity to sign a passport
form as a great honour, to those who regard it as an unfair intrusion into a GPs
time, which justifies a hefty fee.
The new passport form requires the counter-signatory to declare their own personal passport number, and I have had two enquiries about this.
The request for a passport number has been put in to enable the passport to be more secure against fraud by enabling the passport office to check a signature. This is obviously a major advance in security for passports, and I think it unlikely that giving a passport number in this way has any privacy implications greater than giving an address or phone number. One colleague thought that it would increase the risk of his own passport being forged. It is worth noting that the applicant is expected to leave all documents with the counter-signatory so that the envelope can be sealed after completion. I think it is a good idea to ensure that the applicant leaves the forms in an appropriate manner for them to be posted after completion.
The role of doctors in counter-signing passports is outside terms of service and any GP is entitled to decline to complete the form. This is easier to do now that the list of suggested people regarded as counter-signatories does not mention doctors or GPs although it does refer to nurses and social workers.
I suggest that the decision as to whether or not to sign passports ought to be made as a matter of practice policy (thereby avoiding a possible charge of discrimination), and is not affected by the requirement to give a passport number.
John Peniket
Secretary