DWP told doctor to stop medical certificates

HB58

No problem, it is an easy enough mistake to make.

satarical

HB58 wrote: »

No problem, it is an easy enough mistake to make.

What being told that you are fit for work or NOT fit for work?

DUTR

Having read the 1st post and some of the earlier replies, I think some of you have got it WRONG, how can the GP decide if someone is able to do a specific job or not? The GP would have to know the ins and outs of what's involved with the role in question, and unless they are specialising in occupational health then yes the DWP are more than likely correct that the GP is assisting a fraudulant claim.
Sorry

miduck

DUTR wrote: »

Having read the 1st post and some of the earlier replies, I think some of you have got it WRONG, how can the GP decide if someone is able to do a specific job or not? The GP would have to know the ins and outs of what's involved with the role in question, and unless they are specialising in occupational health then yes the DWP are more than likely correct that the GP is assisting a fraudulant claim.
Sorry

You misunderstand, the DWP do not decide if a claimant is fit for a specific job, but rather if the claimant meets certain vaguely job related descriptors.

There is no mention of fraud in the letter sent to GPs by the DWP, and indeed a GP stating that in their informed opinion their patient is not fit for work is in no way fraudulent.

DUTR

miduck wrote: »

You misunderstand, the DWP do not decide if a claimant is fit for a specific job, but rather if the claimant meets certain vaguely job related descriptors.

There is no mention of fraud in the letter sent to GPs by the DWP, and indeed a GP stating that in their informed opinion their patient is not fit for work is in no way fraudulent.

Any GP worth their salt, will know to 'wash their hands' of this kind of situation, the GP can write the patient has X,Y, Y conditions and that's it.
We had a situation at our place where there were roles to be performed, the GP quite rightly informed that the company has OHS, and rightly relecutant to release any confidential patient data.
In the case of the OP's friend, it is up to them to prove that they cannot perform any work role whatsoever, which I fear many of us beleive cannot be the case.

deadlightbulb

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Perhaps the OP and her friend should ring a newspaper up and get a story running? In all my years of needing sick notes or as they now call them Fit notes - I have never heard anything so awful.

Just clarifying that I'm male, but you weren't to know that. My friend said she would rather not go to the media with a story like this, even though she thinks it's out of order for the DWP to do this, it would be a bit much for her to deal with. It'd probably be a good suggestion for someone else if they wanted to though.

FBaby wrote: »

I find it particularly concerning that a GP would be worried about the situation. Why would they be if they were confident that indeed they have medical records to show why that patient's condition is according to them preventing them from working... We are talking about a GP, someone who should have great confidence in the medical decisions they make....

The facts that the DWP would write when this is not -yet at least- a routine move AND that the GP is worried about it does make me wonder whether sicknotes were indeed issued a bit too eagerly.

That is not the case, I cannot speak for the doctor because I have no idea what exactly is worrying her but I think the fact the DWP wrote to her in the first place and accussed her of being unqualified to declare someone unfit for work got her guard up.

My friend has years of medical records to back all this up and there is no basis for saying she doesn't have depression, I believe it was a personal issue with the GP being nervous rather than what's there in black and white.

It's probably like when you're going out of a shop and the alarms go off and you know you haven't stolen anything but you freak out anyway. The very fact you're being accused is startling.

We weren't able to get in touch with the doctor as she only works half weeks but we had a message this morning from reception saying the doctor is issuing a note tomorrow and we can go pick it up. We never got to relay any of this to her, we will anyway just so she knows she's doing the right thing, so i guess she was just shocked at first and it's now sunk in that they were just messing us about!

Hopefully this will have just been a blip. Thanks to everyone for their responses.

miduck

DUTR wrote: »

Any GP worth their salt, will know to 'wash their hands' of this kind of situation, the GP can write the patient has X,Y, Y conditions and that's it.
We had a situation at our place where there were roles to be performed, the GP quite rightly informed that the company has OHS, and rightly relecutant to release any confidential patient data.
In the case of the OP's friend, it is up to them to prove that they cannot perform any work role whatsoever, which I fear many of us beleive cannot be the case.

Thankfully most GPs disagree with you, given the many thousands of fit notes they write each year.

DUTR

miduck wrote: »

Thankfully most GPs disagree with you, given the many thousands of fit notes they write each year.

I think you know exactly what I mean miduck, if the Ops friend cannot do any kind of work whatsoever, then why do they need money? Depression is not a reason not to be able to do any kind of work, lots of employees suffer depresion at some time, Stephen Hawkins is able to work, I doubt many would want to exchange their postion for his physical ability, so yes the OPs friend can do some kind of work, when she gets a job and goes off sick, then yes the GP can assess whether they are fit enough to return, but whilst they do not have a job at all, the GP has no say, SORRY.

DUTR

deadlightbulb wrote: »

Just clarifying that I'm male, but you weren't to know that. My friend said she would rather not go to the media with a story like this, even though she thinks it's out of order for the DWP to do this, it would be a bit much for her to deal with. It'd probably be a good suggestion for someone else if they wanted to though.



That is not the case, I cannot speak for the doctor because I have no idea what exactly is worrying her but I think the fact the DWP wrote to her in the first place and accussed her of being unqualified to declare someone unfit for work got her guard up.


Hopefully this will have just been a blip. Thanks to everyone for their responses.

I think you are thinking along the correct logical lines, we have phone ins on the radio down here, indeed your friend doesn't want media attention as the consensus would be that people would be outraged at your friend and the GP .
Many employers have to adopt an equal opportunity policy, so age, race, gender, sexual orientation or disability should not hinder any applicant.

ILW

Surely a GP can say someone is ill, but in most cases is not in a position to make a judgement as to whether the individual is capable of doing any work or not.