can I ask GP for help?

[lurcher]

Probably somthing on here on this subject but my searching time is limited due to feeling unwell. I have the ESA questionare. Can I ask my GP for help as regards to going to an assesment centre ie have house check/medical? I cant get to my chemist or GP at present and my condition is terrible. I have good relationship with him. I am 64 male and on my own. I hae continually called Citizens advice people since getting form about 10days ago, only got answered once, they promised to call me back but did not, probably to busy. Any advice please. JBD

[whoami]

I am a little confused, LOL...not hard!

Are you suggesting asking your GP to go with you, possibly take you to this assessment centre? Or are you wondering if you could ask him if he has any advise on getting help to get there and answer questions?

[FluppyPuffy]

If you're meaning that you're wanting to ask your GP for help in arranging a home assessment instead of having at attend one at a centre, you can ask him about providing some sort of letter/report to help support your request. You may find that a fee is payable for this tho, if he agrees to providing you with something.

If it relates to something else, if you can give us some more specific info about it, we might be able to point you in a more helpful direction.

[lurcher]

All noted sorry for not explaning properly, I wanted to ask for GPs help as regards to having check at home but wondering correct way to ask? Is there procedure with these medicals. I have looked at questionare and I will never complete it as I can not think properly and memory is hopless. JBD

[Tracie]

Make an appointment with the gp,explain you need a home visit and then ring ESA up,they will want evidence of why you need a home visit so either your gp will send the information or give you a letter to send to them.

[denys]

Also try a benefits advisor or social services as they can help with form filling if you cant get any joy from CAB

[lurcher]

Here is the result of my meeting with GP this morning. Thia was my 3rd attempt as I had to cancel the previous 2 due to being unwell and anxious. Started off by asking if there was a substitute for Diclofenac Sodium as they took edge off pain when I needed them. He mentioned that there was load of articles in papers and TV about these pills but he reckoned I should just continue with them. I was taken off them due to high risk of heart attack. I then told him of the blinding headaches I have been getiing for while now, he said it will be due to my condition, Osteoarthritis (Spinal Canal Stenosis) Osteporosis, Fibromyalgia,Asthma, Anxiety Neurosis, etc. I then mentioned I had ESA questionare and would he be able to help me with letter to have mome medical. He said the ATOS people are very busy and that to have a home medical is very costly and time consuming for them and that he would only consider it for a severly disabled person and no other. I explained that I have always seen him for past 30yrs and that he knows how my condition is , not some ATOS person with probably no medical experiance, he then said I understand and that he would do a letter, but I dont think it will be of much use to ATOS etc. Thanks again JD

[lurcher]

Afer my GP visit yesterday I now wonder what roll these GPs play in this ESA thing, I had impression that they would be independent knowing their patients medical record. instead he went to great lengths to say the government would be after him for writing such letters to his patients, not to mention the cost and work ATOS have with home visits. The practice has treated me for 33 years with depression and the other medical issues and when I said that I could never make my way there he commented that he would pen letter about depresson only and not any issues relating to consultants who have and are treating me at present. No wonder people are made ill with these rats and I am afraid my opinion of the GPs is going the same way. I never imagined in my 64yrs I woulkd see such a miserable selfish situation. This is the 3rd world war. Dont give in to them by consent stand up for our rights, we need a leadership for these ATOS and govenrment scum. Also when I said that these ESA medicals are shambolic and fore gone conclusion with it all over internet he said nowt. I doubt though that they have any morals. JD

[denys]

Sorry it didnt go well, but my GP told me they had been told not to help patients by filling in forms or writing letters before things get to an appeals stage so I cant say I'm surprised at your GP's response

[zappa20]

If your GP knows that you're normally able to attend hospital appointments , or see him at his surgery then he can't write a letter saying you're physically unable to attend an ESA assessment appointment. And neither can he write it, if in his medical opinion you should be able to attend. The DWP can access all your medical records at any time and so can if they want to check to see if you've recently seen him in person at his surgery , which you just have.

While I can appreciate your apprehension at the thought of an assessment , it's unfair to put your GP into this dificult position, and also unfair to suggest GP's are in league with ATOS. Particularly when you don't know if you will even be called to an assessment. If you give enough info regarding your circusmtances and how they affect you on the form you may be awarded ESA straight from the questionnaire. So it would be more constructive to try that than unfairly criticising GP's on a forum.

I have several friends and relatives who are doctors in hospitals and also GP's and I can assure you , they have plenty of morals.

[whoami]

Zappa...I agree with what you are saying.

I also am exposed to the personal side of Dr's and medical staff.

We forget that Dr's are human and are torn between understanding what the patient is presenting and what is actual fact that can legally be proved or disproved by evidence.

When a Dr puts his signature on a document, he is not only applying ink but he is putting his license on the line.

A friend wanted his Dr to sign papers for a disability pension and a tax credit. He actually looked up some symptoms and borrowed some of mine that would make him qualify. His Dr said...even though he understood and was sympathetic to the symptoms my friend was presenting there was no evidence to prove that they were severe enough to meet the requirements needed for approval. The Dr could have easily said that yes my friend qualified and presented the necessary symptoms, but if legal evidence was asked for the Dr could not produce any.

I do believe that Dr's do whatever they can to treat and represent their patients the best they can . They take an oath to that effect. I do believe that Dr's.....Do Not, lie or withhold information to appeals officers or any agency. Why would they? They could have their license revoked.

I feel that those of us with a chronic condition desperately want to be fixed and compensated for where available that we
forget that Dr's are human and can only do so much. I have myself wondered why a Dr could possibly not agree with me at times.

I feel we need to try not be so hard on Dr's. Just my opinion!

[lurcher]

Many thanks all for replies. I note zappa20s reply and wish he had replied to my first posting of Can I ask for help? I would then have had a more understanding and probably would have never asked GP. I did not expect to be talked down to like some scool boy or lectured on the cost or time to ATOS. I have never asked my GP for anything in last 43 years. It does not inspire confidence in patients to experiance such and encounter. But it does go to show that it is them and us.

[denys]

Maybe things got a bit over stressed by your doc, or maybe he didnt understand exactly what you were asking As I said before my doc explained how they couldnt, he wasnt being dismissive or taking sides just that as has been said whether you qualify for a certain benefit isnt up to the doc but to others who's job it is to look at the evidence supplies and to make a decision based on that. That decision can often be wrong, but its at that stage other people can give other evidence hopefully which will mean a correct decision is reached

Hope this makes sense cos I'm afraid my head is all over the place today

[zappa20]

[lurcher]

Again all noted and thanks for help.