Should I give consent to access medical reports

The_Boss

Good luck hun, I hope it works out for the best

Sugar_Coated_Owl

As if you care anyway!

Alexandria I think I will do as you suggested and request to see the medical reports before it is passed on to Bupa. At least that way if there is anything I disagree with I can add an explanation/statement.

Thank you again to everyone who has given me great advice

LondonDiva

Fleago wrote: »

from what you have described of your condition, I would suspect that you will fall under the remit of the Disability Discrimination Act in terms of your employment. This will place your employers under the legal obligation to consider reasonable adjustments in order to help you sustain your employment. This may mean making adjustments to your current job or redeploying you to another position.

Agree with this, but they only have an obligation to proide support if they have access to the full picture re RB's mental health. By involving occy health and requesting the information, this is what they are looking to do.

if she refuses access to the records, they would have grounds to point to non cooperation in a reasonable request or to refuse to redeploy etc at a later stage because she did not allow them to help as best as they could and they could then terminate the contract without penalty.

I agree with teh posters in that I'd strongly encourage you to speak to your GP and make an appt with the BUPA GP, form 3what you are saying,they seem to be trying to help:)

CFC

Agree with other posters, you will have the right to see what your doctor intends to send.

You need to give a lot of consideration to what you can reasonably do. Your employer will not realistically be able to keep you in your current position, and your psychiatrist says you shouldn't be in your current position. You need to look at what else there is in the company that you can be trained to do.

Your position will be no better if you refuse consent, because then it may well be that disciplinary action for absence will be taken against you. Eventually, with more absence, this could result in termination on the grounds of capability.

Your best option then is to give consent and then consider what other roles the company could offer you, unless you are pretty sure that you will not be having any more absences in the near to medium future.

You need to be smart to do what you are doing, and I'm sure that you can apply that brainpower to coming up with possibilities for other work. I think it is likely that the company will try to want to help you in a very positive way. I wish you the very best of luck.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Thanks CFC Everyone has been so supportive and offered great advice-thank you.

I have decided to give consent and will post the form today. I have asked to see a copy of the report before it is sent to Bupa. Unfortunately I can't guarantee that I won't be off sick in the near future. I also have appointments each week which of course counts as sickness.
Hopefully giving consent is the right thing to do. At least that way they are more aware of what's going on and can support me in my current role or alternatively redeploy me. My area manager said they won't make a decision without speaking with me first so I guess that's a good thing.

Fleago

razorbladekisses wrote: »

Thanks CFC Everyone has been so supportive and offered great advice-thank you.

I have decided to give consent and will post the form today. I have asked to see a copy of the report before it is sent to Bupa. Unfortunately I can't guarantee that I won't be off sick in the near future. I also have appointments each week which of course counts as sickness.
Hopefully giving consent is the right thing to do. At least that way they are more aware of what's going on and can support me in my current role or alternatively redeploy me. My area manager said they won't make a decision without speaking with me first so I guess that's a good thing.

I think you've made the right decision, razorbladekisses. CFC and London Diva are quite right, if you had refused consent it may well have changed the way in which your employer deals with your absence, with possible consequences for your ongoing employment. If they have medical information they can do their best to support you and you will also being doing your bit to ensure that you have the full protection of the Disability Discrimination Act.

It sounds as if your employer is very supportive and keen to help you and it also sounds that you have access to good medical support to help you recover. I really hope everything works out for you.

sandy2_2

razorbladekisses wrote: »

. I also have appointments each week which of course counts as sickness.

Why does it count as a sickness day?
Would it be possible to change your hours to accomodate these appointments within say a flexitime agreement, or even switch to reduced hours of work eg 4 days instead of 5

Sugar_Coated_Owl

I work 41.5 hours a week and it hasn't been possible for me to drop my hours in anyway (even though I have asked many times). Maybe after all this they may allow me to. It makes sense.

I'm not sure why it goes through as sickness but on the computer you have to select sickness and then medical appointment and then when you get paid it shows as sickness on the pay slip.

pandas66

Just wanted to send you my best wishes RBK and hope it all works out for you in the end.

A chap at my works has been seeing a psychiatrist weekly and it isn't put into his sick record. He voluntarily goes and goes unpaid.

I would ask the question 'what can BUPA do/provide' for you.

If your manager has been aware of your o/doses and has not either withdrawn you from immediate access to dispencing drugs then I can't see how now access to your medical records would bring this on. I can see them now rearranging your work load (as they should).
Clearly you are accepting help, so I think you should asking for more, given you have BUPA cover etc.

Love and good wishes to you.

Savvy_Sue

I would check your T&C carefully: one place where I worked any hospital appointments were NOT marked as sickness, but went down as 'other', and staff were NOT required to make the time up. We had flexitime, and were expected to make dental, GP, optician's appointments outside core time, because it was felt we had some control over these, but anything at a hospital was paid for.

Also it meant that your sick record didn't get shot to pieces if you had regular appointments but were working around them.

Good luck with it all.