ESA Medical

Molly41

Hi,
I have today received my letter detailing my forthcoming appointment for my medical. Anyway they also sent a letter giving details of the suggested journey I could take using public transport. It states that it would take me 2 hours and 46 minutes to get to the Atos centre, involving a 20 minute walk, 3 buses. This must be a test in itself and i dont know how they think people who are signed off sick can undertake this type of journey...do the assessment... and then get home !!!

Im lucky as mu friend is driving me - she has taken time off to do this. I couldn't get there otherwise.

Oldernotwiser

It's unfortunate but unless there's a centre on every street corner it's difficult to see how this could be avoided.

Many people with a disability do drive, of course, but I'm glad that you've got a lift.

dmg24

I agree that there can only be so many centres, but three hours each way? :eek: In that situation then the claimant should be offered alternatives - either a taxi or a home visit.

mealone

For DLA and IB medicals I have seen dirty tricks such as if you can walk to the center from the carpark you can walk to well to be awarded HRMC and turning of the lifts in the center where IB medicals where held and if you didnt protest you were well enough to work.

Not an urban myth but experaince in the center that was used in south road durham and the center used in the tower block in central bishop auckland where I went to the tax office and I had to wait to return to the ground because the lifts were turned off, they were only expecting IB medicals that day and not a disabled person visiting the tax office, they had a good laugh at all the people arriving with sticks/crutches then when told they would have to come back saying well I might be able to get up a couple of flights of stairs.

This was over 10 years ago but I would be suprised if it is worse now, maybe cameras to prove you can walk/climb stairs?

NASA_2

They're all against us.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

mealone

ESA wrote: »

They're all against us.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The truth and not an urban myth but places I was at at the time and for differnet purposes, for DLA medicals they locked a door and made everyone walk round, thereby if you got there you could walk and the tax office made me sick when they were looking out of the window laughing saying I needed to wait till 3pm to get down on be carried down in an evac chair.

I was also once in hospital when 2 doctors came into my room to see who won a bet, a man had been to outpatients and he came in on sticks with a collar on and splints but after he left outpatients he visited the loo and walked out normally. Sunderland General now Sunderland Royal.

Oldernotwiser

I'm not sure why this should be seen as "dirty tricks " really if it helps to weed out claimants who aren't as genuine as they seem.

mealone

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm not sure why this should be seen as "dirty tricks " really if it helps to weed out claimants who aren't as genuine as they seem.

though I wasnt there for either of these judications by locking the nearest door and turning off the lifts it is underhand and the people who need it most would fight on but the fakers know the ropes and would just complain, make sure it was documented then they leave.

Oldernotwiser

mealone wrote: »

though I wasnt there for either of these judications by locking the nearest door and turning off the lifts it is underhand and the people who need it most would fight on but the fakers know the ropes and would just complain, make sure it was documented then they leave.

I'm sure it stopped being a successful strategy once people became aware of it.

nogginthenog

Molly41 wrote: »

Hi,
I have today received my letter detailing my forthcoming appointment for my medical. Anyway they also sent a letter giving details of the suggested journey I could take using public transport. It states that it would take me 2 hours and 46 minutes to get to the Atos centre, involving a 20 minute walk, 3 buses. This must be a test in itself and i dont know how they think people who are signed off sick can undertake this type of journey...do the assessment... and then get home !!!

Im lucky as mu friend is driving me - she has taken time off to do this. I couldn't get there otherwise.

Does not the form you fill in before your medical (in the "about you" section) ask you if you have problems using public transport.
Or do they not take this into account.

Molly41

It does not seem to given that I can't stand up without falling down at the moment. How I would love to be able to walk for 20 minutes!!!