Applications

I want to become an Affiliate / Member of the Faculty, how do I apply?

• To find out if you are eligible to join the Faculty, please review the Application Criteria.
• To apply for Affiliate Membership or Foundation Membership, please complete the Application form.

How long will it take to process my application?

It normally takes approximately 4 weeks for applications to be reviewed. All offers made are subject to ratification by the Board, which meets 3-4 times a year.

I applied over a month ago and have not heard from the Faculty. What should I do?

Each application is reviewed by 2 different people and if there is a split decision your application will be referred to the Fellowship Committee for consideration. This may explain the reason for the delay however please contact the Faculty office on 020 7580 8490 or info@fflm.ac.uk and they will be able to update you on the status of your application.

What membership benefits will I receive?

Please visit fflm.ac.uk/faculty/fflmbenefits

Subscriptions

How much will it cost to join the Faculty?

Please see the Fees page for current registration and subscription rates. The faculty offers a reduced rate for those living overseas.

How do I pay my registration and subscription fee?

• Online credit / debit card facility

You will receive log-in information in your offer email, simply log in to the faculty website and follow the payment instructions.

• Cheque

Please make cheques payable to “Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine”.

When is my subscription due?

Subscriptions are due on 1st July each year.
Subscriptions run from 1st July – 30th June.

Is my subscription eligible for tax relief?

Yes - subscriptions are tax deductible in the UK.
Doing this year’s tax return? Contact us for last year’s subscription rates.

I am retiring. How will this affect my Foundation Membership / Fellowship?

The Faculty offers a reduced rate for retired members. You will be charged the Affiliate rate but will still retain all of the benefits of Foundation Membership/Fellowship. If you are about to retire please contact the Faculty office and inform them of this change. Your subscription rate will alter at the next subscription round. Refunds cannot be given part way through the subscription year.

Access to the website

I am having difficulty accessing the private area of the website.

If you need to retrieve your password, please go to fflm.ac.uk/password/ and enter your username (your email address). Your password will be emailed to you.

If you cannot remember your username please contact the faculty office on 020 7580 8490 or email info@fflm.ac.uk

I am unable to access the Forum - what should I do?

When you log in to the private area of the website, click on ‘Forum Activation’ on the left hand menu and follow the instructions. If this does not work, please contact the faculty office on 020 7580 8490 or email info@fflm.ac.uk

How do I access the Royal College of Physicians Library and Information Centre facilities?

Please visit fflm.ac.uk/faculty/fflmbenefits

My organisation is holding an event and we would like to publicise this to your membership. Who should I send details to?

Please email info@fflm.ac.uk, giving full details of the event. Unfortunately we are unable to list all events on our events page.

Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine

I would like to submit a paper to the Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine

Please visit: http://ees.elsevier.com/jflm/

General information

I have moved house, who should I inform about my change of address?

You can update you correspondence address by logging in to the private area of the website and updating your profile. Please also send an email to info@fflm.ac.uk with the details so that your journal subscription address can be updated. Alternatively please call the Faculty office on 020 7580 8490.

How do I request a replacement diploma or verification letter?

Please contact the faculty office on 020 7580 8490. Verification letters will be sent to existing Fellows and Members at no charge. Medical staffing and recruitment agencies will need to pay an administrative fee of £10.00 (cheques made payable to ‘Faculty of Forensic & Legal Medicine’. Duplicate Fellowship and Membership diplomas will incur a fee of £25.00. Please ask for further details.

How do I contact the Faculty Officers?

Although the Faculty Officers are not based at the faculty office, any enquiries or correspondence by post or email will be forwarded to the relevant officer by the admin staff.

How do I get Faculty accreditation for a course or event?

For further details on CPD and course accreditation please visit http://fflm.ac.uk/education/ (TBA)

General Guidance

I would like to become a forensic physician. Can you offer me any advice?

The following links may be of use to you:

• Day in the Life of a Forensic Physician
• Advice on Obtaining Qualifications in Clinical Forensic Medicine
• The Role of the Independent Forensic Physician
• Guide to practical induction training in clinical forensic medicine
• Reading List

Also see the Events page for courses and programmes which may be of interest, and the External Diplomas page for post-graduate qualifications.

I am a student thinking of studying forensic or legal medicine. Do you offer assistance with work experience placements?

Yes. Please email info@fflm.ac.uk giving details about what field you are interested in, and which county / country you live in.

Can you recommend an expert witness?

The FFLM cannot recommend doctors to act as Expert Witnesses.

Advice to Individuals

The Faculty is unable to offer forensic and legal medical advice to individuals, please seek assistance through your solicitor.

Information and advice on illnesses and their treatments

The Faculty is unable to provide help or advice regarding an individual’s illness and treatment. Your GP or hospital doctor should be able to answer any questions you have about your illness. Alternatively you can contact NHS direct on 0845 4647. Patient UK provides leaflets for patients on a wide range of conditions.

NHS Direct
Patient UK
Other health information websites

Finding a GP or a Specialist

The Faculty cannot recommend doctors or hospitals.
Information on GPs and Specialists is available from two sources: Dr Foster and Patient UK. Most public libraries can also provide lists of doctors in their area. In the NHS if you need a referral to a specialist, you must go to your GP first.

Dr Foster
Patient UK

Checking a doctor’s qualifications or making a complaint about one

The letters after a doctor’s name can be looked up on Medilexicon for definitions.
All practising doctors in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and to register with the GMC a doctor must be qualified.
To find out if your doctor is registered, check the online Medical Register on the GMC web site. Please note that if a name doesn’t appear in the Register, the doctor could still be eligible to practise and you should contact the GMC for further information.
The GMC is the regulatory body for doctors. You should contact them if you wish to launch a complaint against a particular doctor. The Faculty does not have the authority to take action on such complaints.
The Health Service Ombudsman investigates complaints about the NHS in England. Information on how to complain about the NHS or Social Services is available from the Department of Health.

Medilexicon
GMC
Department of Health
Health Service Ombudsman

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