Another evidence question

Gordon wrote: Chrissy

OK you appear to have raised the issue of you self-harming but do they have a proper appreciation of how often you are doing this and the triggers that cause you to do so? If they are not they you really need to summon up the courage to speak to them about this, ignoring the issue of an ESA re-assessment, they may be able to help you with this problem.

Have you spoken to your GP about what help they may be able to provide you in regard your ESA being re-assessed. It would be great if the Assessment Providers contacted a claimants GP as standard but the simple answer is that they won't so what letters or reports could your GP provide.

If you have self-harmed has it required treatment? For example have you had to attend at A&E or even the practice nurse.

There is no reason why you cannot use the information you supplied in 2013, but you will need to explain why it is still valid, however, to be successful with Regulation 35 you will need up to date evidence and the only reasonable source for this is your GP.

Gordon

Trouble with evidence/poss loss of phone counselor

I have mentioned in the past, worries of losing my ESA to my GP's but

Hi Gordon

I have spoken to my GP and had treatment from a practice nurse, minor injuries unit, and paramedics, regarding my self harm, this year.

Even though my GP's acknowledge that I am unfit for work, I am having trouble getting the GP to specifically say in a letter, that I am incapable of work, or work related activity, their letter is way too vague.
They seem to think I am being too fussy when I try to ask them to specifically say that work or work related acitivity would be unsafe for me and others, and they do not know about regulation 35.

Could you help me find the words to say to the GP, so that they can write a letter to say that work, OR WORK RELATED ACTIVITY would be a risk to me and others.

Also, the printouts they gave me, in response to my SAR request did not include my visits to the minor injuries unit, so, could you help me with obtaining evidence from the minor injuries unit.
I attended there, last December, so would that not be recent enough for the DWP.

Medics don't realise that the DWP want specific and recent evidence, and think I am being too fussy.

Many thanks.

Gordon wrote: Chrissy

I'm afraid we don't have a standard letter you can use for this, the problem with letters like this is if they get used on a regular basis they become devalued as the Decision Makes will see it as just the GP signing something they have not actually considered for themselves.

To try and describe the elements that such a letter will need.

The GP needs to identify the condition(s) that would cause the risk, they can't just say that X is at risk.

The risk needs to be substantial, this is means much more than the majority of the time.

They need give examples of when the risk could be realised (work / WRA)

They need to describe what the risk is and what would happen if it was realised

For Reg. 29 (work) they also need explain why reasonable adjustments that an employer might make would not remove the risk and why the medication and/or treatment you have been prescribed does not do so either.

It may well be that the reports from the minor injuries unit will be considered to old, but they not! If you don't include them then those assessing will have no idea of your issues.

Gordon

Hi Gordon
I have ADHD (seeing psychiatrist in Jan after having seen ADHD nurse in Oct) am also waiting for a mental health team member of staff to get back to me, as I want new medication, and cant wait till January.
I have also been told by an Autism Assessor that I have Autistic traits.
There is no rhyme or reason to the frequency that I have fits of frustration, which result in self harm, and damage to property.

I need to be in the support group, because these attacks that I get are a safety risk both to my self and others.
I don't have one individual GP, everytime I go, I see a different one.

I also have drink and drug problems which to me, pose a substantial risk to me or anyone in a work related situation.
I am not careful about how much paracetamol I take, I extract it from the tablets at the chemists, and take the codeine. I also take paracetamol tablets, and am not careful how many I take, for instance I will five if they have codeine in them. I can't remember what information I have given to what doctor, as there are loads of them, and I am not sure if they write notes, but they should.

I also hoard drugs, because I want to kill myself in the future, the doctor knows about this, she was told last week.
I am a very vulnerable fragile person, people who know me see this, but they are not doctors.
I tried to get MIND group to write a letter of evidence, but they are only allowed to write one-line letters.

Stress makes me hit myself, and when I do, i give myself black eyes, and cuts, and bumps on the head, which also cut sometimes. I throw things. I break things.

I have had a lot of falls when drunk, last year I eneded up having emergency surgery due to an abscess behind my nose.

The thing that stresses me most is i need lots of alone time, and when I cannot get that, I lose my temper and get very distressed. I am also easily exploited, but the doctors never make a note of this. This is a high risk situation.

It just seems ridiculous, that a sitting target like me, who is vulnerable and also at risk when I get distressed, cannot get in the support groups, cos I couldnt get the doctor to write the right words on a letter, as doctors don't like to be told what to do by their patients.
I would be really appreciative if you could help me find the right words to say to the doctor, or mental health team, to get that eviidence, so I can stay in the support group as this would take a lot of worry from my mind, and lessen my day to day misery.
thank you

In the summer, I tried to strangle myself when I got up one morning, by tying a scar to the bedpost, and I told my doctor this.
This, as well as my outbursts, would mean I cannot do things reliably, repeatedly or safely.
What would happen if the risk was realised, by forcing me into a workplace environment, where stress, as major trigger of my attacks is very abundant. The risk would be injury to me or someone else.

I am really worried, not just for me, but for other people, should be forced into the WRAG or on JSA, all because I couldn't get the right doctor to say the right thing, because it seem like you almost have to get your doctor to use certain words, the right words, and I don't know what they are. All I know, is that I want to stay safe and I dont want to put others safety at risk.
How should I proceed, in this situation, to secure the evidence I need to get me my rightful and safe place, in the support group.

As you can see, my outbursts are a safety risk
Your help would be much appreciated.

Hi Chrissy

You say in your reply to my response to your first post that you were put in the support group in 2013 and that paperwork and evidence would be too old now.
I don't agree with this at all.
You should definitely use the same evidence and all the same replies to the questions on the form wherever you can as your illness is still the same and the problems associated with it are still the same.

I have seen an NHS survey published today saying that mental health care is being rationed and its illegal. GPs/doctors were the respondents to the survey and they should know!!

Hi


I am trying to follow your good advice and have all my evidence ready so that when my ESA or PIP documents come from the DWP, all I will need to do is complete the forms.

I now have a temporary CPN and I asked her if she would write me a letter of evidence, because I said it would reduce a lot of stress I am suffering, but she refused, and said to ask my GP.
None of my GP's know me, and despite me calling them on man occasions regarding self harm episodes etc, when I got my notes from my SARS request, there was nothing on them to show what I had said in the phone calls.
I told my CPNn this.
She said that no one will write any evidence until the ESA50 form is completed. She acknowledges I am not fit for work, but is not being very helpful. In fact, I am finding a huge gap between the demands and insistences that the DWP impose on us regarding evidence, and the actual evidence the doctors will supply.
When I did my SAR request at the back end of last year, the doctor also put a letter in with it, but the letter was only a couple of sentences long, it didn't specify what would happen if work related activity was forced upon me, or what condition (none diagnosed) would cause the risk.
I am a mild mannered and easily bullied person but all my life I have had these fits of rage turned inwards.
Nothing on the medical documents suggests this, it's like no doctor has actually seen me have a rage fit turned inwards and the risks, so they won't document it, so I only have my own word for this and don't know what to do next, to provide adequate evidence to show the DWP that my behaviour and moods are a safety risk.
The whole situation is worrying me terribly.
Thanks in advance.