To possess, buy or acquire a firearm or shotgun, you need a firearms certificate issued by the police. You must also have a certificate to buy ammunition.

From 1st April 2016, information sharing processes between GPs and police have been introduced to ensure that people licensed to possess firearm and shotgun certificates are medically fit.

The Home Office guide on firearms licensing law contains a section on medical information, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firearms-law-guidance-to-the-police-2012.

When completing a firearms licence form for a patient, the Doctor will look at the person’s full medical record, and provide any information that may be relevant to the police.

Medical conditions that could be relevant include;

• acute stress reaction or an acute reaction to the stress caused by a trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder
• suicidal thoughts or self-harm or harm to others
• depression or anxiety
• dementia
• mania, bipolar disorder or a psychotic illness
• a personality disorder
• a neurological condition: for example, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s diseases, or epilepsy
• alcohol or drug abuse
• any other mental or physical condition, or combination of conditions, which may affect the safe possession of firearms or shotguns

The list above is not intended to be exhaustive. Doctors will consider any other mental or physical condition(s), which may affect the individual’s safe possession of a firearm or shotgun, now or in the future.

If there is a change or update in a patient’s medical history, the surgery has a duty to notify the police authorities’ firearms licensing department of any changes, which may affect an individual’s licencing status.

Where there is a reasonable belief that an individual holding a firearms licence may represent a danger to themselves or others, they may be asked to give up their licence. If they refuse, the police authorities’ firearms licensing department will be informed as a matter of urgency by the surgery.

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/firearms-licensing-police-guidance for more information on firearms licensing. The possession of firearms and ammunition in Great Britain is regulated mainly by the Firearms Act 1968.