We very often hear stories of how unsupportive GPs are and how its impossible to get any medical evidence to support a claim. Sadly its a proven fact, that without any medical backup at all your claim/appeal has a good chance of failure. However all is not lost, if your GP is unsupportive or you havent got anything paperwise to support you as you will see below, there is much you can do to help yourself as you go through the changeover from Incapacity Benefit to ESA, or reassessment or or DLA/PIP, it is good practice, and I advice all clients this, to get preparing TODAY. DO NOT wait for the brown envelope to drop on the mat. Here is a list of things you can start doing today to help yourself: 1. Make sure that you alert any Specialists you have or have had in the last 12-18 Months, that you want copies of any medical evidence they send/sent to your GP as you have a right to these for free, so its good practice to mention it when you go for an appointment, even to the pain clinic. If you didnt get previous ones its worth ringing the clinic and asking the specialists secretary if they can send you one still. You can request these copies from your GP too (*who may charge.) Its best to ask for them face to face from GP as over the phone they always say they charge usually, if you put him on the spot they only have to click and print there and then and often do. DONT feel you are pressuring your GP this is your future, and without this evidence you will be fighting for months in an appeal possibly. So be bold and ask! 2. Make an appointment with your GP and update him/her of any problems you have not mentioned, ie incontinence, and ask for a referral to a specialist for each illness, even if you have exhausted all possibilities of help and been there, done that, it is ALWAYS worth going back to see if there is anything new you can try, and if nothing else is worth going for the paper evidence for your claim see above. If you cannot get into see the GP then start to say you are going to complain about the lack of appointments available at that clinic to the BMA, that will get you one of the "special emergency" appointments if the practice is particularly difficult. 3. If your GP is unsupportive, and/or has been in the past with the forms then change him/her, see another in the practice until you get one that WILL support you. IF the whole practice is no good then move elsewhere. If you are under appeal, or have an assesssment coming up soon we dont recommend changing practices near the end of this, as it can take some time to get the records to a new GP so make sure you do this in good time. 4. Make sure you take a "day in my life" diary page for the GP and a letter asking them to consider this when filling in the medical evidence form the DWP will send your GP. Many will call you in for a chat then when they get them, we find it helps if you put a note with it stating, "please consider my day in the life letter when completing the form as I do not visit regularly and feel it will give a better reflection of my illness to the DWP." 4. When you see your GP ask him if you can have a screen print, this is a simple click and many GPs when put on the spot will oblige if you explain you have little evidence to substantiate a claim/appeal etc. They may try and point you in the direction of getting full Medical Records which you dont need, at a cost of £50, but just point out you are living off £71 a week and £50 would mean you cannot eat that week, which would be detrimental to your health. IF your GP is following BMA guidelines and NOT giving medical evidence, then get in touch with us, I can send them a Fightback evidence request letter to them which has had 100% success rate so far ;-D 5. Get a copy of your perscription list, this comes as standard with perscription print outusually and make sure everything is on it. 6. If you see any nurses for anything/social workers/support teams of any kind or pain clinic, or if you have ANY other support at all, then ask them to write a supporting, quick letter, explaining you have support and for what, it does really help if they include a quick note of how they see your illness effects you. Ie if you have an illness that makes you aggressive verbally, or fall often and are claiming you should be coming under the regulation 29 exemption for ESA (which means you are a risk to others or yourself.) Then get them to clarify what you do that makes you a risk if they see it. 7. Dig out any appointment letters for specialists/pain clinic etc you still have, and send these also. 8. Make sure you make 3 copies of all evidence you get and put your Nino number on the top of each one. Take one with you to any medical examination, and send one in with your ESA50 pack (make sure you get the envelope weighted at Post Office as they pay standard charges, if it goes over it may end up getting lost, so ALWAYS send recorded delivery to get proof of delivery. (Royal Mail open all DWP mail which has increased the risk of loss. Finally send one to the Decision Maker (dont address to the same decision maker as on the letter as often more than one will look at it, just address to DM at the office dealing with your claim or in the case of DLA/PIP to the general address on the claim form. Its always good practice to ring and check that they have recieved your letters after 10 days, as its not funny the amount of mail that is going missing in the DWP system at present. Chasing up all letters with DWP is something that requires great patience, but its worth it, otherwise you can be waiting for weeks and they may not have even received the Med evidence at all! 9. Keep on the ball, you should not get complacent if you are on ESA as you will be reassessed over and over unfortunately, so keep all of the above, and regularly get updates to your GP on any side effects of medication, and new symptoms etc. Please note that agoraphobics who do not attend the GP have little evidence, you must try and get something even if its relying on GP phone calls etc, as I am contacted daily by people who are being asked to attend medical examination because the GP failed to send a fax to ATOS as the patient had not informed them of their condition etc. Either way you have little chance of success in tribunal if you are not shown to be trying to get help or help yourself. Read more: fightback.boards.net/thread/37/esa-application-appeal-medical-evidence#ixzz2e0jPYL5X
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 10:13:50 +0000