Providing ESA50 Form to GP?

I did copy in my GP to my ESA50 in case the DWP contacted her (they didn't).

It is worth bearing in mind that even a supportive GP is not necessarily aware of all the difficulties you have in your day to day life, after all there is a limit in what can be covered in a short appointment slot. Years ago when I claimed DLA I copied my GP into my form. When I next saw her she said she was

horrified

by the impact of my illness (severe ME) on my day to day life. This was a kind and supportive GP who I had been seeing on a regular basis.

So in my experience it is best not to assume your GP understands the effect of your illness on your functioning.

Daisy...I too have ME and Autonomic Neuropathy. Although I see my doctor a fair bit she only treats individual symptoms and doesn't 'know' me at all and how my condition affects my daily life. I have recently given her information for my records, though.

TCP

I agree with you say. I think in hindsight, what I was badly getting to, was the need for your medical practitioner to have actually seen you recently and/or regualarly. As I said above I have no general need to see my NHS GP, but I am getting the impression I should be going to my NHS GP regularly anyway, just for the DWP reviews, and probably when any review is starting, just to physically present myself in person.

Daisy,
As fate would have it, my GP's wife has ME, as do I, so he's pretty clued up on it and supportive. What my main carer, a retired Staff Nurse, did was to give him a report of her own on how my multiple disabilities affect my daily life, and how, in her own medical opinion, they related to the ESA process. He's also reccommended me for placement in residential care, so the letters for that will be going in with the ESA50 when it comes.