ESA No Way!

HI all
Its awful what you are going through. When I had my nedical my GP was fuming as he felt they were disregarding his expertise on me his patient whom he sees often. When I got there I only had half the assessment as they had so many to do so i saw a nurse or health practitioner. She had me doing things which caused me so much pain I was sobbing, then sobbing from the humiliation of going through all the things I couldnt do for myself. Then on my next visit I saw a doctor who had a tick sheet asked questions made no notes then a report was formed. Several items were misquoted or just plain incorrect. :x Luckily I was down as limited capacity to work but in the work related group??? when I queried the mistakes I was told they didnt matter!! :? as I wasnt expected to work for the next 6 months but would need to attend work related interviews. I went to the WR interview and when the guy saw me on a particularly bad day he basically apologised and said it was a waste of his time but more importantly a waste of mine and obviously caused me distress and he would be putting a report in to say just that. :!:
I am due a review shortly and am terrrified that they will change their minds as I am no better than before if not worse psychologically as I feel like giving up . Apparently I was bad enough to write off but because of my age they want to keep me iin limited capacity to work for a while to see if the meds ever work. THe money they give is not worth much but my mortgage insurance is invaluable and I worry if the DWP take me off then my mortgage cover would too. My GP is so supportive but I hate having my fate in others hands I already have little control over my life as it is.
Good luck to all waiting.

Theresa

Also, ASK RADAR to take up your case and challenge the `powers that be'.
NEXT. get FREE LEGAL ADVICE.
Where?
Google -DISABILITY RIGHTS SPECIALIST SOLICESTORS and get a `no win,no fee' to take on your case. I'm going to see if I can find a `solicestor who is going to do a LANDMARK case, representing us and challenging' this discrmination with the law.
THATS why Theresa, you should NEVER have been put in the`work focused group' which means they are FORCING you to FIND WORK THAT WILL BE LOW PAID AND UNSKILLED - EXACTLY WHAT RADAR WAS TRYING TO STOP FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE! And if YOU DONT PLAY BALL THEY WILL STOP YOUR ESA AND MORTGAGE HELP- that means ALL OF US people!!!!!ATOS are using agency doctors from places like the Eastern Block Countries to do the assesments. And what makes a NURSE qualified to do these complex assesments????

Great post Countessheather. I have found a guide for the ATOS doctors doing the medicals and it is VERY interesting...

"Observe the claimant's ability to rise from sitting and note the type of chair when they are collected from the waiting area. There is a further opportunity to observe this function following the interview.

Record the claimant's ability to sit without apparent discomfort within the examination centre where this has been observed. Take great care not to give the impression in your report that the observed behaviour is the maximum that can be achieved."

You may have the opportunity to observe how the claimant handles tablet bottles, their expenses sheet or a repeat prescription. You may also observe them lifting objects such as a pen or handling a newspaper. Fine movements may be observed if the claimant adjusts their hair or scratches their head. They may also adjust their watch or unbutton a shirt cuff for examination."
Watch for hand, arm and head gestures. Note the ease (or otherwise) with which any coat or jacket is removed and replaced.
The claimant may hang up a coat or a jacket allowing observation of shoulder joint and arm action.
The claimant may lift their handbag or shopping bag several times during the interview process.

In addition to the examination of the upper limbs as subsequently described, always inspect the hands carefully and document any evidence of ingrained dirt or callosities, indicating the possibility of some heavy domestic/manual work at some point in time"




This is only a small part of it but you can see how underhand they are. If you can scratch your head does it mean youre faking your symptoms? Or does it mean youre capable of working a 40 hour week?

And what bothers me most is the way these doctors lie. They obviously have to write a report of their own findings, like if someone scratches their head, adjusts their hair or whatever else they "catch" us doing while at the centre so why when we get the report of the "medical" is this left out? Do they not send the full report? All I got was the tick box report and on it were a couple of statements written by the doctor that were blatant lies.
I think the doctors who lie in the reports are as much if not mostly to blame for whats going on. Something needs to be done.

Youre right Airwave. And another thing, the decision makers should be people who have some medical knowledge, I dont see the point of all the medical investigation and scrutiny for it all to be sent off to some faceless decision maker, who has absolutely no clue whatsoever about our conditions or us. Private medical reports should only be examined by medical people when what they decide is going to have such an impact on our lives. Who is an unqualified decision maker to decide we, our doctors and specialists are either liars or just wrong?!

My mother could lift her handbag but she couldn't cut a piece of fruit. She could scratch her head but she couldn't walk. She could read a newspaper but not carry a cup of tea. It seems that these 'observations' are based on the most simplistic of criteria. If you are disabled, chances are you make things easier for yourself by maybe not taking your coat off (mum sometimes didn't bother putting one on), not putting very much in your handbag so it isn't heavy, holding paperwork ready so you don't have to fumble about in your bag. You work out how to do things in a different way so it might look as if you didn't have difficulties doing them. My mother didn't go for the higher care rate and mobility because she was scared of losing the DLA she already had yet she could do practically nothing for herself over the last few years of her life and was surely entitled to more.

My blood boils at the way our society treats disabled people. I think these humiliating tests are discriminating against them.

Put bricks in your handbags when you go for your medical girls

Im with anyone who wants to start a group. We could try going for permission to see and correct any "mistakes" (untruths more like) before our report is sent off. At the minute we arent allowed to even look at what the doctor has written never mind sign to say its correct. :x

I would be willing to join in some 'group' action. Not sure what we could do?

Anne

Hi im really sorry they have put you through this the whole system stinks. You are right in we should be preserving our own health not attending medicals etc we are treated as liers they have taken personal choice from us work is now forced on us. and it is not always possible . They have no clue to how we live.I would love to return to what i did before but i have not got it in me. What do they think we can do and will people give us a chance if we found something. I am so sorry you have been turned down. sending hugs and thinking of you from joanne

Sorry to `bang on' again, but that is why I asked if everyone here could you,please,please email RADAR as it is `they' as the `charity of choice' that is involved in consultaition directly with the JOB SITE agency and the GOVERNMENT and are being used, to justify the change in the law, so that the `figures' are manipulated for the `forth comming'election. Welfare Reform is such a `hot topic' that I gurantee that this will be a fiece battle ground for voters. That dosent help you or I or other `disabled people' fiancially - we all know how expensive it is to be disabled and it certainly dose NOT help `re-train' all the disabled people into work that is relevant to them rather than `convienient' to politicians and statiscians. We do need `a pressure group'.It means we need to talk to ALL the other charities to unite. Wendy, I loved your posting and gentle Airwave you are inspirational. Keep copies of all paperwork connected to your ESA applicaiton and all letters to everyone one else. We only want a `level playing field' for disability without descrimintaion. xxx

Please title this `Welfare reform Bill' and many thanks for doing thxis - we can make a difference. xx

I'm very interested in starting/being involved with any pressure group or campaign to get this silly situation sorted.

I have been in contact with my MP who wants me to go through the hoops before stepping in. He's very keen but will be retiring soon (due to OA!). The appeals process just seems to take months and months!

I'm heading towards a tribunal (just waiting for them to send me a date) but I've supplied them with letters from consultant, GP, OT (who known me for almost 12yrs) and documents from my old work detailing how I tried to stay in work. Not sure how many letters it will take before it outweighs their one 'medical professional' who saw me for 20mins.

I'm up for a fight!!