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sugarbabe-47

Hi All, PTSD really bad atm and Im in abit of flight/fight

montyrebel

if you have suffered for over 10 years with it but only told your employer last year they may be looking to see when your doctor 1st knew about it, if you didnt declare it when you signed your contract etc it may be a way for them to fire you as you lied on a form etc, i wouldnt give them permission

[Deleted User]

montyrebel said:

if you have suffered for over 10 years with it but only told your employer last year they may be looking to see when your doctor 1st knew about it, if you didnt declare it when you signed your contract etc it may be a way for them to fire you as you lied on a form etc, i wouldnt give them permission

 You can't be fired for not disclosing a disability. That would be discrimination 

General_Grant

What does this "blank" form say?  What level of disclosure is it permitting?

TBagpuss

Have they explained why they are asking? If you are looking to return and may need accommodations then it is fairly standard to have occupational health involved and to request access to medical records so that the information can be taken into account by the OH assessor. 

General_Grant

How are you to "sign" the form?  Is it in any way editable?
If you are concerned that they/their professional adviser could obtain your medical history without your doctor first getting your agreement to what exactly is provided, write to the doctor independently, allowing sufficient time for the letter to be properly recorded there, before submitting the form.

General_Grant

Signing a blank form is never a good idea.
I suppose they have your GP contact details from previous fit notes and could fill in those details.
It seems trust is a problem.  So asking for a print out in the post seems the way to go - so that you can see what they are entering or put the details on yourself as well as having the opportunity of definitely restricting provision of data until you have seen what is proposed by the GP.   Your GP may also discuss with you any restrictions they would attach - such as being seen only by suitably qualified professionals.

Xbigman

Signing blank or open ended permissions is never a good idea. You could refuse to sign but let your employer know you would consider allowing requests for specific information. That way you haven't refused completely and you stay in control of the situation. 
By specific information I mean information about one condition. My employer wanted open access to my medical records but I said no, they could only see the records relating to my bowel problems. After some moaning they agreed and my doctor supplied what they needed. They didn't need to see anything else.


Darren

General_Grant

sugarbabe-47 said:

@elsien - Yes I understand all that as I have been reading non stop for the last couple of days on Acas site.Not all my M/H is being treated on NHS all private but my GP knows about my CBT and awaiting EMDR for my PTSD,also my councelling weekly. I have a support worker too.I sent them a letter from my support worker but I feel they do not believe me!! Yes I asked was I being disciplined and the reply was "at this stage we are trying to assist your return to work" so I read that as they are starting disciplinary against me ??? I can get my councellor to write a report too, so will that help?

No.  They are trying to establish what could be an appropriate return to work.
And it is certainly not starting a disciplinary process.

Indigo_and_Violet

Have you asked your employer why they want a copy of your medical records and who would be able to read them? Having been through being signed off with stress before I would be pretty relaxed about (for example) a full warts-and-all copy being sent to an independent Occupational Health assessment because I would trust them to be able to filter out what is and is not relevant to my ability to do a role. On the other hand, the thought of my immediate boss having access to every UTI and counselling session I'd be a lot more reserved about.

The meeting being changed from informal to formal without notice is a little unusual. Are you able to send them an email clarifying whether it was formal or informal, and if it was formal what process was it the start of? If you are a member, it might also be time to speak to your union as they'll be able to give you some good independent advice and hopefully calm some anxieties. 

Indigo_and_Violet

Was having a think about this on my daily walk (what exciting lives we lead these days!).
Someone mentioned upthread about using medical records to determine whether your conditions counted as a disability. This is one area where allowing access to some of your longer-term medical history might be useful.
An acute episode of stress probably doesn't fall within the definition of a disability ("You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities."). However, some of the other conditions you have described probably would do. I understand that they haven't affected your work before, but it is possible that your pre-existing mental health conditions have affected your ability to deal with the current stress. This could mean that your absence becomes a disability-related sickness absence, rather than general sickness absence. This is sometimes treated differently by employers than normal sickness absence and might mean, for example, that formal absence procedures start at a later stage. 
Sending good vibes and hoping you've got something nice to look forward to this weekend!