IB Renewal Without a Medical!!!!!!!!

This is a copy of a post by Andrew Patrick, which was cleared today for publication in the forum:-

My wife heard from the DWP this morning that her IB was to continue without the need for a further medical. Good news.

She recently had to fill in an IB50 only eighteen months after the last one which was followed by a medical and there is a review period of only one year this time. Any review is completely pointless as she had two conditions that will not improve and she reaches retirement age in the next three years!

The following is a letter I sent along with her IB50, whether it had any influence I do not know but it certainly made me feel better! I have removed names for obvious reasons but if it helps others in anyway all well and good.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am nonplussed that you should think it necessary to send my wife another IB50 form to complete. The implication behind this action is that my wife should have another medical because her physical condition has improved or is going to improve. Following receipt of the IB50 my wife had an appointment with our GP who we have known for over twenty years. I went along with my wife to see him and make sure that I was in no way missing the point. I asked him point blank, will my wife's condition ever improve. The answer was no. In fact my wife's condition has deteriorated somewhat since she last had an IB medical just over eighteen months ago. Details will be found on the returned form.

My wife suffered three fractures to her left leg in quick succession and despite a valiant attempt to continue working was forced to retire.. There is an irony in that the first of these three fractures occurred while she was at work and resulted in an ongoing industrial injuries award for which she has had a recent successful medical. My wife suffers from osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. She has to wear a full length leg brace on her left leg morning until night and has to walk with a crutch. Her consultant at the time of the three fractures was a Mr **** at Ysbytty Gwynedd, Bangor. I saw Mr **** with my wife on many occasions and he was adamant that my wife should never be put in a position where she might break her left leg again. He was amazed she was not already in a wheel chair and made it quite plain that should she break her leg again she would be in a wheel chair for the rest of her life. Equally should she break her right leg the outcome would be the same.

Having informed you, on this and a number of other occasions following her last IB medical, of my wife's vulnerable physical condition I want to make it quite clear that should any action of the DWP and or any organisation acting on its behalf put my wife in a position where she is made vulnerable and subsequently suffers further physical damage that leaves her in a worse physical condition than that she is already in we will look for legal redress.

I have to say that I think there is a degree of vindictiveness underlying this action. In the first place in the sense that the current government egged on by the other major political parties and ably assisted by the tabloid press is oppressing the sick and disabled with a view to cutting spending on benefits under the guise of 'helping' them back to work. In the second place because following my wife's last incapacity benefit medical some eighteen months ago we questioned the need for a further review in twelve months time, subsequently stretched to eighteen months. That medical was carried out by a pleasant but superannuated GP. I have accompanied my wife to all her important hospital appointments with her consultants over the years since she first fractured her leg and have had no indication that her condition will ever improve. She has constant ongoing mobility problems and is in constant pain caused by her osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. These are two conditions that are not curable and will continue to cause my wife the same problems she has now and unfortunately her condition will gradually get worse.

Robert Martin, the final President of the Appeals Tribunal criticised ATOS Healthcare medical practitioners who did not appear to pay sufficient attention to the appellant at the medical examination and who produced findings in medical reports based on observations that were inconsistent, or recorded in the medical report findings that were contradictory. Amen to that.

I included our local MP Hywel Williams in the loop during previous correspondence and he was most sympathetic in his responses and, if necessary, I will ask him to be more closely involved this time round.

Yours faithfully,

COPIES to:- Hywel Williams, 8 Castle Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SE

Doctor ****

What a superb letter.Your wife is so lucky to have such a wonderfully supportive husband.
Well done and all the very best to you both.
Bella

Good on you Andrew, thats what people all need to start doing....Telling them like it is. After reading your letter makes you wonder if they actually read the flippin claims in the first place.

Your wife is lucky she has you to support her, Im the same with my hubby....he isnt afraid to tell it like it is either.

Kathy

excellent letter, am reallly pleased that you got a good result. My very best wishes to you and your wife.

Hi, great letter, may be if more people did this alarm bells might start ringing. It just proves that no matter what you put on your forms they do not take any notice, I often wonder about people who they pass FIT for work and who are on strong medications (side effects etc)what would happen in a workplace situation if someone went a bit dizzy and was injured. Best wishes

Hi Well done you are of the same opinion as
me that they do not understand about illness i have Ankkylosing Spondylitis which has left me after working with this
condition a fused spine from top to bottom
the consultant says i am at risk of fracture i also have osteoarthritis in the
hips and they both need replaceing i have
high bp diabetes type 2 a enlarged heart
and spleen and also cellulitis and a rare
skin desease hiddra sputrra i take 27 tablets a day and have been on IB since
2007 the doctor did a medical report for
my former employer who i had worked for the
lasat 27 years it states the short and
longterm prognosis is not good i get dla
hr m and m rate c it was awarded for 5 yrs
it has a note on the letter as it possible
my condition will worsen it can be look at
again for more care a as for IB the idiots
send out the ib150 each year but i have
never been asked to go for a medical the
job cte have called me in to see how they
can get me back to work when the two people
saw me and i told them what was wrong one
said you should not be here i am sorry you
are unemployeable the risk of injury is to
great so well done how much money are they
wasteing paying ATOS trying to get at disabled people all my love to you and youre wife regards ruffles x