Enhancing Your Surgery Services with Channel Swim Certificates

As healthcare providers, we always look for ways to enhance our services and provide comprehensive patient care. One unique service that can be offered through your surgery is the Channel Swim Medical Certificate. This certificate is a comprehensive health examination required for individuals who wish to take on the challenge of swimming the English Channel.

The Role of a Doctor's Surgery in Channel Swim Medicals

A GP practice can offer a Channel Swim Medical Certificate service as part of its wider offering. This involves conducting examinations and tests, including assessments of the swimmer's ears, sinuses, nose, throat, chest, cardiovascular system, urine, joints and limbs, and nervous system.

In addition to these examinations, the doctor's surgery can provide additional services such as conducting an Electrocardiogram (ECG) for specific swims that require it or if an extra level of safety is desired. The surgery can also handle any follow-up queries or issues arising after the medical examination. For those that don’t offer ECG services the doctor can refer the patient onwards via the free of charge Odycy referral platform.

The Benefits of Offering Channel Swim Medicals

Offering Channel Swim Medicals can enhance your surgery services in several ways: 
1. It can help improve patient outcomes and satisfaction by providing a comprehensive health check that ensures the swimmer is fit and ready for the challenge.
2. It can help promote safety in open water swimming by helping to avoid severe illness or death. The medical examination provides an opportunity to deliver individual advice and plan if needed, for example, if the swimmer has a disability.
3. It can provide an additional revenue stream for the surgery. The service is not generally offered as part of their NHS responsibilities and is usually paid for by the patient. 

Typical fees charged for the Channel Swim Medical Certificate service

The typical fees doctors charge for a Channel Swim Medical Certificate can vary between £75 and £200 with additional fees for diagnostics such as ECG, X-ray if deemed necessary.

Specific requirements of the consultation

If you choose to offer a Channel Swim Medical Certificate service from their surgery, they should be prepared to conduct the following examinations and tests:
General Examination
- Measure the patient's height and weight.
Ear Examination
- Check the left and right eardrums and canals for any infections or conditions.
Sinuses, Nose, and Throat Examination
- Check the sinuses for any signs of infection or blockage.
- Examine the nose for any obstructions or conditions.
- Inspect the throat for any issues that could affect breathing or swallowing.
- Chest and Respiratory System Examination
If there is a history of chest disease, consider requiring a chest X-ray.
If an X-ray is necessary, you can provide an onward referral for the patient through Odycy. 
Cardiovascular System Examination
- Measure the patient's blood pressure.
- If any relevant abnormalities are found during the cardiovascular system examination, consider requiring an Electrocardiogram (ECG).
- If an ECG is required, you can provide an onward referral for the patient through Odycy. 
Urine Analysis
- Conduct a urine dipstick test to check for albumin and glucose levels.
Joints and Limbs Examination
- Assess the physical condition of joints and limbs.
Nervous System Examination
- Evaluate the nervous system to ensure no neurological conditions could impair the swimmer's ability to undertake the swim.
Further notes of interest
- If you doubt a participant's fitness, the Association's Medical Adviser will be able to discuss any queries. They can be contacted through the Swim secretary at [email protected]
- Be aware of the deadlines for submitting the medical forms (April 1st for relay teams and April 30th for solo swimmers).
What the patient needs to bring on the day of their medical:
- Channel Swim medical form
- Photo identification
- Information about any current health conditions
- Any prescription drugs you are currently using

Channel Swim Medical Form 

The channel swim medical form can be downloaded here.  

The Role of Odycy in Channel Swim Medicals

Odycy can significantly enhance your surgery services by providing a marketing platform for offering Channel Swim Medicals. As a Provider on the Odycy system that offers the Channel Swim Medical Certificate, prospective patients will be able to find your practice when conducting a postcode search from this page.  

Odycy is featured on the official Channel Swimming Association website under medicals so their participants can quickly and easily launch a search for Odycy Listed Providers that offer Channel Swim Medicals.

We offer Odycy Providers support when setting up new services such as this which includes supplying service descriptions to make the process as simple as possible.

As a referrer, you can provide onward referrals if an X-ray or an ECG is recommended as a result of the examination. This can save time and help patients access more affordable healthcare on their own terms.

With Odycy e-referrals, patients can choose fast access to the most affordable healthcare where and when they need it at a provider of their choice. Doctors can sign up to become a referrer onto Odycy here: https://www.odycy.com/referrer