Mail handling Wolverhampton

Gordon,

A query about communicating descriptor.

A decision maker stated in his letter that despite accepting I have significatn anxieties around people that make it hard or impossible to concentrate on a conversation, he could not score any points under communication, because it didn't cause a cognitive impairement.

Is that statement reasonable? I thought that difficulities to concentrate due to mental health qualified for the descriptior on communication, but I may have misunderstood.

Thank you for any advice.

Thank you. Yes, sorry, I meant the Communicating Descriptor

For some reasons, I thought that a difficulty to concentrate on a conversation due to mental illness qualified for the descriptor, but clearly, the DM, and your advice, point differently.

Gordon,

I'm looking for some advice in relation to a medical assessment that happened before and one coming up in the near future.

I have an extreme sensitivity to sounds that cause me to become distressed and panicked when triggered.

On my last medical assessement, the HP slammed the door behind me and my companion after entering the room. I froze, in shock. I couldn't speak for a while, and experienced a lot of anger for the woman, which is tyical symptom when I'm triggered.

My companion explained the situation to the HP, but the HP looked at us with a blank face and didn't say a word.

She admitted during the assessment that she had not read any of the information in the form or any of the evidence - but reassured us she would read it all before making her decision.

The medical report written by the HP made no mention of the incident, and I scored no points for any of the activities related to the distress caused by sounds.

1) I find the way the HP dealt with the situation irresponsible - not reading any of the information in the form or evidence before the medical, not dealing with the harm she caused by slamming the door, omitting to include that information in the report, failing to recognise a condition that my GP, my specialist and my psychiatrist reported in writing (later on I scored 10 points on the going out activity after MR). I would like to complain, but what's the point? I hear that most complaints aren't taken seriously and nothing is done about them...

2)future assessment: what can I do in case my next assessment goes 'wrong' too because of an incompetent/inconsiderate HP, or even the same one? Should I leave the assessment due to emotional distress - so the HP has no choice to have to explain why the assessment couldn't be continued, highlighting their mishandling of the situation? (but what stops them from lying, again) Should I record the session?

3) Is it 'legal' for an HP to have not read any of the information in the form and the evidence before an assessment? It seems ludicrous for the safety of emotionally vulnerable claimants...

Thank you.