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ESA Medical delayed, overrun, then attend twice!!?

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7 years 2 months ago #178975 by cazzyclay
Hi,

I had my ESA medical assessment scheduled for 2.10pm today, 18/01/17. I tried in vain to get local mental health support agencies/charities to attend with me due to my social phobias all through xmas-new year but had to give up as no one could.
So i turn up today after dreading this for weeks, prepping all yesterday and today. Arrive with 5mins to spare so i dont have to endure public waiting area and present my letter asking it to be recorded, And am told from the off its running an hour late and that they need more notice to record it - then another receptionist said no its ok we have it! I said i cant wait in public waiting area let alone for that long and that i would have to go away and come back in an hour- they said i might loose my slot if it came up earlier but begrudgingly agreed. So i left, drove home, fetched my dog so i could make use of the time to walk her before and after the appointment during daylight, walked her put her in car, and went back in at 3pm. When i got back they said i was next in and HP just called to say about another 25 mins was that ok - i said id try...i sat...and sat...and sat...it got to 4.15 now over 2 hours from my original app time and i complained i had a dog in the car but they kept saying she would be right with me..then i saw them get the recording equipment and take it through so gave me oomph to wait on..rocking in the corner. Then time went on again, i asked - they said she was reading my files and there was a lot of them.. I had come so far and taken up so much time and energy i didnt want to come back and leave now..so i waited, pacing..every other candidate was called - some arriving after my 2nd arrival. Eventually i was called in at 4.25! i said from start look my dog is in the car how long is this going to take as this was meant to start over 2 hrs ago - she explained usual blurb of it taking up to an hour but if the alarm went off at 6 not to panic..i thought 6?? i still gonna be here then??? but id come so far and i was beside myself i just went along...by 5.45 she said she wanted to go and ask a colleague something i sure the time and said look i have to go!! my dog! please are we finished? she said no and thats what she asked her colleague and it was a legal requirement and we couldnt finish there! i said well u started over 2 hrs late ive been in this building on and off since 2pm!! its now nearly 6!! she said what do you want to do carry on or abandon it? i said well will we loose all we've done? she said possibly she'd have to speak her superior! i said well i at least need to get my dog out the car shes been in there 3 hours i never leave her more than 1 ever before and it was dark and cold out! she sympathised but said her hands were tied she'd go and ask...
by time she came back i had my coat on and she said cant allow dog in i said ive decided im going anyway..but only if we can carry this on and with you as im not going over all that again after all the time ive spent here today too...so we went to reception and she called headquarters to ask if we could continue another time..i couldnt believe 1.5hrs wasnt enough but she had been so thorough we had only covered about 1/4 of my ailments...so i was thinking reschedule for 2-3 wks but no the supervisor said they were on a bus home (lucky them!) and she'd have to look into if we could carry it on but it would have to be this week..the HP was away 2mw so would have to be friday - they still not confirmed this ok but seemed know for sure it couldnt go into another week else would have to start all over. So they were pushing me for when free Friday and eventually compromised on fri afternoon slot but booking me out for at least another 1.5hrs.
Meanwhile we had spent the previous 1.5hrs talking bout my mental health and how i cant cope with changes to routines and changed appointment times and having appointments in the first place and i kept citing the medical as an example of how it was going to throw me being out that long and this all happening as it did..now they want me to come back do it all again?? i left the building at 6.10pm! my dog was freezing cold distressed and had an immediate panic attack on me. I had to get home, all my washing still hangin out on line as id assumed a 2.10 appointment be back by dark!!?? i had to warm my dog up with hair dryer..missed several important phone calls i was taking after the appointment, and i due to go away this wkend to see family and now i have to wait until sat so they can do this friday?? its now 7.38pm and my dinner over hour later..im completely in shock and trauma at the upheaval - part of my medical issues!! CAN THEY DO THIS???? Baring in mind most my claim is mental health social phobias, coping with change, anxiety, stress...all this has sent me into lockdown.

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7 years 2 months ago #179001 by Gordon
cazzyclay

I'm sorry you had to go through this.

The issue you face is that you have been told that your assessment has not been completed and therefore and therefore a report cannot be produced for the DWP. If you refuse to attend the second session then you may be accused of failing to participate, so I don't see how you cannot attend as it stands.

However, I would make a formal complaint about what has happened to Maximus

www.chdauk.co.uk/contact-us

It is simply ridiculous how long you were asked to wait and then to have a 1 1/2 hour assessment and to be told that it is only half complete is simply unacceptable.

I would also copy your complaint to the DWP office dealing with your ESA claim and involve your MP.

Contacting your MP

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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7 years 2 months ago #179017 by cazzyclay
thanks gordon yes i had thought as much that i have to attend on friday but just can't believe how long it might take again, and what if they make me wait again? they are squeezing me in apparently - but its all their fault as they let slip from start had a staff member off. They did offer to reschedule my app from the start but having anxiety and prepping for this date up to the point of arrival i said i wanted to get it out the way, and assumed leaving and coming back for an hour was sufficient!? i then calculated another hour from this maximum so thought id be out by 4, but because they kept moving goalposts during my wait id got to a point where if i left before it even began id done all that angst and waiting for nothing. I was so angry and at my wits end before i even went in i photographed the complaints details on a board in waiting room when i was last one in there pacing around..and i had thought when i told the HP look this has started 2.5hrs late how long it going to take my dog is in the car, she would say yes lets whip through this (knowing she'd be wanting to get home to) but instead she did the usual announcement of how long it could take and i should be prepared for this which i thought was rich given id already been there 2.5hrs!!
Granted she was thorough and good but if this isn't found in my favour after all this i will be beyond disbelief..£100/week is not worth this grief..and as i heard other claimants discussing outside having cigarettes - if we showed up 10 mins late we'd be shown the door!
The biggest cheek is they fitting me in on friday due to their own mismanagement, and yet they were pushing me for when i could be free from on friday, giving me 10 mins to get from my last appointment to them as quick as i can rushing across the city...i said i'll do what i can brain dead at the time desp to get back to my dog in car, but now in retrospect why i rushing around all over the city? Yesterday i rushed to appointment cramming all my commitments out the way in the morning, barely eating lunch, then i drove back across the city in a daze unsure what to do with the hour late announcement, then i came back did a rushed 30 min dog walk so i didnt miss my next rescheduling, and then sat/stood/paced for 1.5hrs in waiting room again til it got dark!? i was also fully aware it could of been used in evidence against me as id said couldnt do waiting room and stood clear on this, then when came back they coerced is 25mins ok? only 2 other people in room now..but it just went on and more showed up and one particularly sat few feet from me facing me watching me squirm whole time..i was too painfully self conscious and anxious to keep getting up going to reception window ask what he hell was going on as all in waiting room would hear, so i was internalising all this pent up anger..it was torture.
assessment itself was ok but i was in such a mess already i was on a different mental plane and remained that way in a daze rest of the eve..could barely sleep last night reliving that waiting room
I will make the complaint gordon but where is it going to get me?? a sorry...little comfort now

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7 years 2 months ago #179041 by Gordon
cazzyclay

I would hope an apology, maybe some compensation although it won't be huge. It may be of assistance if the assessment report is not good.

It has to be your decision and I am really not trying to put any pressure on you, but if no one ever complains it's never going to get any better.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: cazzyclay

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