The CAA has helped create a new, separate space for participants to report on, and improve, their health.
Slightly more than half the number of pilots who are having health changes, that could affect their ability to fly safely, let the CAA know.
But the CAA’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tim Sprott, says research indicates the number of pilots who don’t report, or who avoid going to the doctor at all, is of concern.
“US and Canadian studies estimate a 40 to 50 percent under-reporting rate, and this has been confirmed by a recent New Zealand study,” Tim says.
“There are a number of reasons for this.
“Pilots – especially commercial pilots – and air traffic controllers are concerned about what making a formal report about a health issue might mean.
“They’re understandably worried about the potential impact losing their medical may have on their aviation career, businesses, family, and recreational flying, long-term.
“Although we know from our own research that 80 percent of pilots who lose their medical get it back, participants fundamentally distrust the reporting process1.
“To improve that, the CAA medical team has developed new ways to work with pilots and air traffic controllers in a transparent and professional manner.
“The positive feedback we’ve received from participants vindicates this new approach.” (See Vector Online article What the hell is anxiety?)
Tim says the medical team, however, wanted to do more by making significant changes to the current system.
“The result of that is ‘Safe Haven’, which we hope will encourage participants to report, and to regularly seek health care.
“We hope it will also improve their trust in the reporting process.
“It’s crucial we make ground here because there are major risks to the safety and wellbeing of pilots, air traffic controllers, and the public, posed by undisclosed medical issues.”
Safe Haven
Photo: iStock.com/AJ_Watt
Designed by the CAA, the pilots’ union NZALPA, and a specially created Safe Haven Board, the new programme aims to increase reporting by pilots and air traffic controllers.
It’s doing that by changing the environment in which they report.
“Safe Haven allows participants to raise potential health concerns without direct contact with the CAA,” says Tim.
Participants can still report directly to the CAA if they wish, but Tim says many of them want an initial discussion about their issues in a ‘safe’ environment – meaning, at a distance from the CAA.
“The CAA remains hands-off, and that allows participants to have more control over the process.
“It really just formalises what many medical examiners have been doing for years – working with a pilot or air traffic controller to get them back to flying or working, but not passing on that information to us.
“With Safe Haven, we’re giving our approval to this approach, and providing protections for individuals who use the programme.”
MESHs
A medical examiner who’s been specially trained to work in the new programme is known as a ‘Medical Examiner Safe Haven’, or MESH.
The new MESHs have special delegations from the Director of Civil Aviation to make decisions about the participants who consult them.
“There’s no danger of the CAA coming in and riding roughshod over the MESHs’ support of their pilots and controllers,” says Tim.
“It’ll take time but we’re hoping this programme will build trust between participants and the CAA.
“I want it to be the same high level of trust I have with pilots and air traffic controllers every time I fly.”
Tim says the MESHs will first establish if a pilot or controller can keep working or flying.
“Maybe they can continue, but the MESH might also refer them, for instance, to a counsellor or psychologist.
“If a pilot does need to be grounded, the MESH will work with them to get their medical certificate back.
“The CAA will know that a pilot has been grounded but won’t know the reason why, unless it’s in exceptional circumstances – and such circumstances are rare.
“For instance, there might be a serious or immediate risk to the participant – such as having a condition like epilepsy – or to the public, where an individual has suicidal thoughts or intent.
“But the vast majority of concerns that participants have are temporary and not severe, and don’t need to be reported to us2.”
Through Safe Haven, pilots and controllers will have the same rights to appeal a decision, as they do now.
“If they want a convener review or a district court appeal about a decision made under Safe Haven, those rights remain.
“The only rider is that the appeal must be made to the CAA.”
Medical Director for Safe Haven, Dr David Powell, says the new initiative is a more comprehensive support programme than the current system.
“Under Safe Haven, our MESHs are entrusted to deal with a wide range of matters themselves.
“Participants are provided with help, and a medical note for time off work as required, but minus the usual obligation for the medical examiner to provide the details to the CAA.
“Also, Safe Haven pays most of the costs associated with the simpler cases.”
He says the MESH team is excited about Safe Haven.
“The initial cohort of half a dozen MESHs recently completed training and we hope to have the programme operating by the end of 2024 or early in 2025.
“It’s a high trust arrangement between the CAA, participants, and the MESHs – and it’s a programme every MESH really believes in.
“That’s why they want to be a part of it.”
More information
If you have queries regarding Safe Haven before it ‘goes live’ in the next few months, contact David Powell, david@flyingmedicine.com.
Footnotes
1 Tim says participants’ lack of trust in the reporting system is not unique to the CAA. “It’s an issue facing all aviation authorities. An illustration of that, is that the new programme, Safe Haven, has been adopted by CASA in Australia, and Transport Canada is also interested in taking it up.”
2 Under Safe Haven, there’ll be updated definitions of what a ‘temporary medical condition’ is, exempting pilots, air traffic controllers, and the MESHs who treat them, from reporting to the CAA. Participants will be able to check the updated list of temporary conditions to see if their particular condition is likely to be dealt with under Safe Haven.