ESA cancelled medical three times!

Hello, all - great site. I've just got off the phone to ESA people on the higher rate phone number, on a moblle.

They have cancelled my medical three times in the last six months,or rather the body who conducts these 'medicals' have. Not much notice - I was sat in car park with a friend who kindly offered to drive me to hospital, when I got call about 1 an hour before my medical. Cancelling appointment yet again! Good news, if it is any, when you are ill, anyway, and relying on a friend to do you a favour, and she took time off work, bless her, only to be phoned up by some coordinator, that I will have a long wait, and would I like to sechedule. This was in September - heard nothing since. But apparently they would pay for a taxi next time to come and get me. I said ho do I pay my firend who took time off work to drive me there, Oh you can claim petrol.

This is a totally shambolic service - they call us, customers, not claimants. I've worked all my life as a H/R tax payer and now I am off work, am shocked at how dreadful the benefit system is. Just phoned ESA again - no courtesy of using my surname, all pally. I was polite as usual, and asked about the status of my claim. Heard nothing from them, just letters saying my SICK note is required. It's my understanding that this is now referred to be GP's as a FIT note. Whatever happened to being genuinely ill? And claiming help form the Gov at aged 55.

Sorry, I had to vent my rant there. But here I am, and she was reading her script , probably a revenue increasing exercise on an 0345 number about what sort of group I'd be put in. I stopped her.

I have called them, at my own expense at least 10 times before now. Security questions this that and the other. Fair enough, but I stopped her - I just said, all I want to to have my medical that you have cancelled on me three times in the last 6 months. The last with an hours notice, and all that angst, and costing my friend time and trouble and her petrol to take me there.

This girl, though pleasant enough, looked through my records. Yes, had been cancelled 3 times., their end with their outsourced company. Told me not my fault - well, how patronising - I was st in my friends car and she was doing me a favour, at cost to her ( taking time off her work, petrol, etc)


Apparently, I am meant to wait for a phone call from my local Job Seekers office within the next three hours. Hmm! I'll hold my breath! Here I am just WANTING to get my medical, and even that is a terrible service!

No questions to ask you, Gordon, or any others, just it costs me so much time and effort when I am genuinely ill, and you get this sort of service. Well, it is no service, but even though we are branded as 'customers', you expect after paying to speak to them on a mobile to a premium number. to at least be able to get up your details.
They have lost my SIcK notes before now. andI refuse to referto them as fit notes........... it's been a nightmare.

All I am is a 55 year old lady with bad ticker, bad back, and definetly depressed after having to deal with this lot. What happened to common courtesy?, I didn't know her surname or forename, but to be all pallypally with me, why couldn't she address me with formal salutation, ie Miss or Mrs. But no. I see what is happening here - get ill people into work. How?

I think I shall write a letter of complaint to ESA bods: to cancel me, three times, is disgraceful in itself, and I shall let anyone reading this if I get thier phone call within the 'next 3 hours'. Just when I'm meant to be taking my meds - great. I have to take those with food. Shambolic is the only word I can describe the ESA. And here I am wanting a medical. Last letter , I have a month for M/R, haven't had my medical yet! Ok, sorry for going on a bit, but hope someone else finds this helpful!

Thank you for reading -