Medicines and medical aids
We've detailed below what can and can't be carried in hand luggage and what to do if you are travelling with medication or equipment.
Airports aim to ensure all passengers have a positive experience throughout the airport and are treated with dignity and care at the security gateway. Passengers and their baggage will need to go through airport security before reaching the departure area.
For this purpose, most UK airports are directed by the Department for Transport (DfT) to use security (body) scanners to screen departing passengers from the UK.
Passengers who are fitted with external and internal medical devices*, and prosthetic devices** are encouraged to inform the Security Officer. If the Security Officer assesses that a passenger wearing or fitted with a medical device is not suitable for screening by the security scanner, then an alternative search process will be used to suit the circumstances the passenger has declared.
The screener may ask to see the medical device to complete the screening process. For such passengers, this screening will be carried out in a private area (not on the lane), so that a sufficient search can be completed whilst protecting the dignity of the passenger.
Any passenger who elects to opt out of a security scanner search for non-medical reasons is required to have an ‘enhanced search in private’. It will likely add additional time to your journey and will involve a more in-depth hand search in a private search area. Further details can be found here.
If a passenger refuses to be screened in accordance with DfT requirements and the instructions of the Security Officer, they will not be permitted access to the restricted part of the airport beyond security and will not be able to board a flight.
What to expect at Security Search
* Included but not limited to: Medical devices worn on or in the body: Continuous Glucose Monitoring systems (CGMs), insulin pumps, living with stoma bags, cochlear implants, feeding tubes, defibrillators, and artificial pacemakers. (This is not an exhaustive list).
** Included but not limited to: Prosthetic devices are replacement body parts widely used in modern medical treatment. They may be fitted internally or externally and include replacement lenses in the eye following cataract surgery, artificial heart valves, hip replacements and breast implants. External prostheses include those used in cosmetic surgery or following breast cancer treatment, and artificial limbs. (This is not an exhaustive list).