Job Discussion Forums

[gwynnie86]

Hey again...
Righty, this is for anyone who went with Interac from the UK. I have to prove that I don't have TB and apparently the only forms of proof they'll accept is a chest X-ray or a Mantoux skin test.
Is there a quick, easy way to get one of these done? I'm finding it hard to find anything on the internet. I've called my GP reception FOUR times and each time they sound confused and say they'll sort it out, only for me to call back and find that they haven't dealt with it at all. I will be seriously pissed off if I can't go to Japan on account of my doctor's surgery being run by monkeys ... my friend mentioned travel clinics, which seem to be rife in London but rare everywhere else. What did everyone else do? xx

[seklarwia]

I was living in Whitstable, E. Kent. I phoned my surgery and they told me that I would need to go to hospital to have a Mantoux test done but that I needed to call the TB head office for the my in Deal.

At first the only appointment they could find before my departure date was in Ashford, but a couple of days later they called me back to tell me that there had been a cancellation at my local hospital in Canterbury.

It's a free test that requires a first appointment to administer the test, then the hospital gave me a return appointment to get the skin test checked. They filled out a form to say that the results were normal and gave it to me at the second appointment. You can fax or scan and email that to Interac. They told me to bring the original with me, but never asked for it when I arrived, so I still have it.

I'd imagine if you would have to pay if you had it done at a travel clinic.

[gwynnie86]

Cool. Well... if it takes ages to sort out I might end up paying to get it done. Would rather not, of course. I should hear from them in 2-3 weeks but it's getting nearer and nearer the time to leave.
Seklarwia, will you still in Japan this next academic year?

[seklarwia]

You should ask your surgery for your area's TB office phone number and contact them directly instead of allowing them to do it on your behalf.

TB tests are not something that you can simply ask for without a reason. When I called, they were very insistant that it wasn't an immigration requirement to enter Japan. They started questions like "Do you have any reason to believe you might have TB?" and "Have you been in contact with anyone who has TB?". I needed to explain that I was told it was a government requirement that we needed to have a TB test prior to entering Japan if we were going to work in public schools, then offered to fax them a copy of the employment offer from Interac that stated that (I think it was on check list of things to send that came with the offer of employment). They told me that the fax wasn't necessary and started looking for appointments.

I was trying to get the appointment about this time last year and the reason they intially offered me one in Ashford was that Canterbury was fully booked until late March!

I don't know if your area is going to be as fully booked as mine was but perhaps you should get in contact with some of the travel clinics just to make sure that they actually do TB tests and have good appointment avaliability... just in case your NHS appointment doesn't come through and you are forced to do a last minute dash to a travel clinic.

And yes, I will be in Japan for the next academic year.

[gwynnie86]

Well, I had to chase my GP up for answers today and they gave me the number of a nearby hospital radiology department and told me I could get a chest X-ray but it would cost me �90.
I called this number, they told me it was �98, or �108 for two copies, but that I needed a referall from the GP. So now I'm trying to call my GP again and they're not picking up... argh!!! It's a nightmare!! I'm freaking out so much that I won't get it done on time and that it will ruin everything, although today's email from Interac says:
"T.B. Checks



You are required to have either a �mantoux test� or a chest x-ray before you arrive in Japan. The test results or a doctors� letter stating that the test has been carried out and the results are normal needs to be obtained and faxed/scanned and e-mailed to us before you leave your home country. Please also bring the original with you to Japan.

If you are experiencing difficulty in having a doctor do this for you then please explain that it is a requirement to work in the Japanese Public School System.

If you are still having difficulty, then please contact us and we can make alternative arrangements."

So.... "alternative arrangements" might be necessary. So expensive though.

[seklarwia]

If you are asking for the x-ray then yes you will be charged and because x-rays carry some risks, you often need to be referred with a reason for having one.

You should be asking about the Mantoux skin test, not the x-ray, but as I said before, to get it free on the NHS you need to get in contact with your local NHS TB office and convince them to give you an appointment. You do not need a referral for the skin test, so it is easier for you to contact the office directly instead of a confused GP contacting them on your behalf.