There are instances in which it may be necessary to travel with a medical condition, such as a holiday with friends, travel for work, to go and see family or after an episode of illness whilst abroad. It may be difficult to decide whether your medical condition is well controlled, whether you need any specific assistance to take a flight, or even if you require medical assistance whilst in flight in order to safely cope with the physiological changes to your body and to provide medical interventions.
One may think that consulting your own doctor would provide you with the answers to your questions, specific to your medical conditions, however unless they have received specialist training in flight physiology doctors may not necessarily understand the additional considerations required for air travel.
At Med ResQ we have a lot of experience working with airlines and in assisting passengers with a vast array of medical conditions to fly safely. That may include reviewing your medical history with a specialist in aviation medicine and if necessary the provision of additional assistance or advising on medical clearance, we are ready to help you.
It may be tempting to simply ‘jump on the flight and go’, and whilst there will be plenty of examples where all was well and a passenger got to their destination safely, there are also numerous examples of passengers who have become unwell at altitude and needed to rely on the emergency assistance provided by cabin crew and sometimes by medically trained passengers. These types of emergency can involve a diversion to another airport and even country, potentially with significant cost implications to the passenger and airline.
If in doubt or if your require advice on travelling with a condition then it is always advisable to seek advice from your airline as well as your doctor. If you think you may need assistance then please contact us at Med ResQ.
Stuart Phillips RN, BSc, DipHE
