Hi, I was diagnosed with GCA in October, 2024 and started Tocilizumab injections on 4th December, I’m also on a reducing dose of Prednisolone (4mg)
We had our holiday booked and insurance arranged before I was ill.
I contacted the insurance company in December to advise them of a Change of Health and they said to come back to them once treatment was underway and I had no more hospital appointments.
I contacted them again in January 2025, they in turn contacted their underwriters and they added GCA to our policy without any extra charge but they also asked for a letter from my GP confirming my Fitness to Travel.
I submitted the request to my GP and after 2 weeks I got a message advising the practice no longer provides this service.
I contacted the insurance company again and they said could my GP add a note to my medical records instead, as if anything happened on holiday and a claim was made their MD would contact my GP for my notes and make a decision retroactively on whether I had been fit to travel. However my GP practice doesn’t do this either.
Can I ask if anyone else has experienced this before and how did you resolve it, apologies for the long post.
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GranOwl
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Never had a issue when I travelled with GCA - just advised company on application form [with no extra info required] - they seemed to be more interested in my Osteoarthritis [at the time awaiting replacement surgery].
What company are you with?
Perhaps investigate if you can to get a Fitness to Travel from Rheumatology Dept... but that may depend on when you are going away...
Hi DorsetLady, thanks for getting back to me, I’m with Holiday Extras insurance, we have an annual policy without them.
I made a request in writing to my Rheumatologist and hand delivered yesterday but was advised by his secretary that it can take up to a month. And you guessed right I’m now 2 weeks till travel date. I can’t believe I’ve ended up in this situation when I first phoned them 2 months ago.
I’ve been looking on line and there are private GP’s that provide the service for a fee, which is fine but I would like to make sure that my Insurance Company will accept it.
Think you’d better check with company re private GP .. last thing you need is to be worrying about it. Maybe Rheumy will come up trumps -and more importantly you don’t need it anyway.
As long as the letter is available SHOULD there be a claim I imagine that is all that matters - you don't need it in your sweaty little paw before.
But actually - a GP letter is a GP letter whoever wrote it and NHS GPs always charged as well. And as far as the insurance company is concerned - the reply is, well there IS a problem now!!
It's ridiculous anyway as you could be fit to travel on Monday and have a stroke on Tuesday ...
Thanks again PRMpro, that’s a good point the letter from my Consultant should be there by my return and only required if there is a claim required. Would he not need to see/speak to me before writing it though?
The last time I went away within England I had a lovely weekend with family for our 45th Wedding Anniversary and had a TIA on the way home in the car, so yes you can only plan so far
My friend is heading for Japan for the cherry blossom in 2 weeks too - but not a cruise. She's panicking about how far her Japanese lessons will get her! They've just had mega snow up north so hope it is kind weather for you!
Never had a problem with GCA and Travel. GP’s don’t have to carry out this work and the BMA isn’t keen on them doing it as it is pot loaded with risk. I looked at a couple of GP surgery advice pages and it was suggested people go to their hospital consultant.
It does beg the question whether this certificate has a time limit. A letter written now could be meaningless in a month’s time.
Hi SnazzyD, I can see the pitfalls and totally understand why they don’t provide the service.
I’d also imagine a certificate from months ago would be invalid as situations change constantly.
The people I’ve spoken to at Holiday Extras keep repeating that they’ve never had an issue getting these letters/certificates before so maybe some GP surgeries are still providing them.
I think it depends who you read or listen to. On searching around the topic some travel sites said that customers often find themselves stuck in the middle like you as more and more (allegedly) insurance companies are asking for them. I have never been asked and I’ve had other big medical issues too.
Looking at their website, they don’t make a big fanfare about fit to travel/fly certificates and when it is mentioned they you “may” need one. GCA does’t come up in their list of ‘biggies’ in terms of health risks. If it were me, I’d go back to them and ask what exactly about your situation triggered this request. They don’t say, in their public pages at least, that it is a routine request. It might not be the GCA but the TCZ injections in which case, it seems a bit much for a GP to take on the burden of assessing your risk and your consultant may need to step up.
Thank you SnazzyD, they didn’t phone back today so I’ll phone them again tomorrow. It seems to be the underwriter that’s pushing for the letter. I’m still hoping my Con will come up trumps.
Yes it will be. Sounds like all parties desperately trying to pass the buck on risk. It is still worth trying to find out what they are concerned about specifically so that any agreeable consultant knows what words to use. There are so many angles to take on the travel risk. For example, is it general constitution, infection risk from TCZ, cardiovascular risk including clots, the steroids, the sky is the limit. Good luck .
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GCA - I am not going to apologise for this long post. 
Disappointed...
REFERRAL TO RHEUMATOLOGIST
