DWP told doctor to stop medical certificates

miduck

DUTR wrote: »

It was explained earlier, some things are worked on logic not emotion, if a person was lower limbless they would not be expected to take on a job which required climbing ladders. Does not mean they could not do other work with their upper limbs though.
Depression is different, when one is down in that dark place it is near impossible to find motivation to do anything, but then even money affairs wouldn't matter at that time.

A doctor issues a fit note based on their medical opinion, emotion does not come into it. Again, why are they on dodgy ground in issuing a sick note? Before responding perhaps you could familiarise yourself with the guidance issued to doctors regarding the issue of fit notes ...

DUTR

miduck wrote: »

A doctor issues a fit note based on their medical opinion, emotion does not come into it. Again, why are they on dodgy ground in issuing a sick note? Before responding perhaps you could familiarise yourself with the guidance issued to doctors regarding the issue of fit notes ...

Ok, point me to documentation of this guidance so that I can familiarise myself with the issuing of fit notes, the Op has later clarifed that hopefully the friend's situation will not be forever, which is how it looked initially (to me in the 1st post) .
Complaining that the GP has been advised not to issue notes is based on emotion.

miduck

DUTR wrote: »

Ok, point me to documentation of this guidance so that I can familiarise myself with the issuing of fit notes, the Op has later clarifed that hopefully the friend's situation will not be forever, which is how it looked initially (to me in the 1st post) .
Complaining that the GP has been advised not to issue notes is based on emotion.

Google is your friend. As you claim to know so much, I'm sure you'll find it!

DUTR

miduck wrote: »

Google is your friend. As you claim to know so much, I'm sure you'll find it!

I never claimed to know so much, where is the documentation to refer to I did ask

DUTR

miduck wrote: »

You fail to explain why they are on "dodgy ground"?

As a certifying doctor, you have a central role in providing advice about fitness for work to patients who request, or who you consider should be provided with one. You should be able to offer simple fitness for work advice and support to aid your patient’s recovery and to help them stay in or return to work.

CKhalvashi

bitsandpieces wrote: »

Hope so! If the GP remains concerned, the suggestion of advising them to contact the BMA is a good one - the BMA will clarify the GP's responsibilities to them.

sja75 wrote: »

Really cannot believe what I have read on this thread. How can the DWP do this? Absolutely immoral if not illegal...

A GP is qualified to make a medical decision, not carry out an ATOS assessment.

A GP has a legal duty to look after a patient, whereas although the GMC registered doctors working for ATOS do have a legal duty, in the opinion of many, this seems to be waived.

CK

missapril75

Poppie68 wrote: »

I deal with these letters sent to our GP's on a daily basis, they in no way mention fraud. The letter simply informs the GP that the patient has been assesed and either found fit for work or and placed in the WRAG and they no longer need to issue fit notes on those grounds. .

I thought it would be something like that.

My post was a diplomatic rewrite of what I first did.

john539

satarical wrote: »

This is also happening in my town. Over a four week period two friends have told me the same thing that the DWP have contacted the GP instructing them to stop issuing any further sicknotes during the appeal process. It is a standardised letter that informs the GP that they have no qualification to assess anybodies capability under the ESA regulations.

It has nothing to do with losing the appeal, it has everything to do with stopping payment of benefit at the assessment rate whilst waiting for a hearing. Presumably trying to put pressure on the claimant to claim JSA whilst waiting and not ESA.

In both cases the GP has continued to issue sicknotes regardless.

Shocking !

Good luck to everyone fighting this tactic ! :T

satarical

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.
.

Not exactly, the new MED3 tells the GP to go into the patient's abilities a lot more. The GP should indicate the type of work that the patient can do and what help is needed to get the patient back into work.

The days of the old sick note are long gone when the GP just said 'refrain from work for x number of weeks/months.

The GP is now more geared to what the DWP want from him. If the GP in issuing a sick note contradicts the DWP decision then there is conflict - the GP is effectively saying that the DWP have it wrong. The GP is going against a legal decision made by someone at the DWP who is acting for the Secretary of State.

And by the way, these two instances that I know about do not relate to the letter that the DWP send when they make a decision to fail the claimant - they are the standard ones - these are additional letters received from the DWP after the appeal has been accepted - they are in effect reminders to the GP to not ignore the contents of the first letter and pulling the GP up if the DWP feel that the sicknote is going against a decision that has been made by the DWP.

missapril75

It is a standardised letter

So it should be a simple matter for someone to supply one then and we can see how bullying and accusatory these letters are.