Pete ssl: I would imagine that doctors don't generally know the occupations of their patients, however , when I was an Hgv driver I had to have regular medicals for my licence. I may be wrong, but I would have thought the same would apply for a pilots licence ?

Pilots have very regular medicals (every 6 months I think), but these are organised through their employers' Occupational Health schemes. In THIS case, as some of us keep pointing out, the medical practitioner involved was the guy's own GP, which is a different kettle of fish.

In order for me to be able to go offshore, I have to have an annual medical, but again this is organised by my employer and has to be at a medical facility approved by the offshore/maritime authorities. The doctors who give me my "fit to work offshore" medicals are not and never have been my personal GPs. It's two parallel systems with no cross-referencing, and there is no need for my personal GP to know my occupation.