Asked to go for a Medical...

harveybobbles

My OH has been asked to go for a Medical with regards to their on going claim for DLA and IB.

How do you do a medical on someone with mental health issues...?

Mistyang

Hi Harvey
you have to ensure that OH tells the Doctor who examines her all the problems she encounters, everything........make sure she gets all the points necessary for ongoing benefits.
There was a thread on this somewhere else I will see if I can find the link for you.
Best of luck Misty Ang

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=677619

this is the link i was reading and posted on. It might be beneficial for you to read it before OH attends for medical, which is why I suggested telling the Doctor who is there on that day everything, make him listen.

harveybobbles

I've just been looking and got to page 25 and gave up lol.
It's on Wed evening. Part of their issues is they don't go out, but trying to explain that to the people at the Medica lservice was like talking to a brick wall...

Mistyang

I think you will really have to make them listen to your OH as there is nothing physical. With mental illness or depression you need to stress that the patient cannot go out on his/her own, has panic attacks, insomnia, crying, anthing you can think of in that persons day to day life that he or she cannot cope with.

dmg24

Doctors are qualified to assess people with mental health problems, so I would not be any more concerned than if she had a physical problem.

I do agree with Mistyang, make sure they get all the information. It may be worth making notes to take with you x

lil_me

If you don't have a car they might be able to provide you with a taxi for transport, usually has to be authorised by the person who is in charge of medical services. If they can't go to the medical and the health services they access will confirm this then you could ask for a home visit usually.

Medical should be pretty straight forward, I know others say to go prepared but I have seen negative comments made on reports when someone has gone in over prepared.

Just being honest is the key, then noone can trip you up

littlemissteapot_2

i had to go for a medical for IB too. I was signed off work with severe depression & stress (due to being bullied by my manager) I was under the care of a counsellor & had the Crisis response medical team out to me too. I was on antidepressants found it hard to leave the house didn't like people it was horrible. I was made to travel 7 miles to my appointment which was in the middle of a shopping centre!!!

The doctor asked me a series of questions I couldn't focus & couldn't tell you what I said I just wanted to get out of there ASAP. I was thought fit to return to work & IB was stopped. That was last Oct I appealed & apparantly!
i'm waiting for outcome but my advice is that you need to try & remain calm & get everything you want to say accross. Make sure you add every little thing you think may be relevant. It's not a nice situation & understand why they do it but i think it can be done more sensitively

Good Luck x

harveybobbles

OH is going to wear a t-shirt so all the signs of self harming are on show.
Thankfully the place the medical is at isn't too far away and I only need to finish work 30 mins earlier to take OH there. But thats not the point.
I got adviced to read a copy of the original claim for for IB as this is where they get some of their questions from. Also I read on another post that someone took there dog in with them as it was their comfort thing.

allen35

You should request a home visit so your OH isn't too distressed.
Usually DLA medicals are given at home anyway and no need to go to extremes with clothing as you don't have to impress a doctor but just to prove you are ill.

Tell your OH it's not a competiton and just to be himself as people, sometimes, can try too hard and fail their medical as it looks too false to an educated medical practitioner.

piglet29

Hello harveybobbles, my dh has attended many of these medicals and he suffers with depression, over the last ten years he has been unable to work and has had to go through the distress of having to attend these medicalsevery couple of years. i have always said that the forms you have to fill in are not very good for poeple with mental health problems and are aimed more at people with physical problems, but as mistyang has said it is important for your husband (or yourself if your husband is unable to tell them himself) to get over to the doctor the way his illness affects his day to day life, it is a horrible thing to have to go through and i wish you good luck and if you would like to pm me with your email address i can send you a pdf "A guide to the personal capability assessment" which may be of some use to you .It gives you a guide on some of the questions that may be asked and also the points score system, you have to have scored so many points( I think for mental health it is 10),to pass the medical and carry on receiving IB. Hoping things go well x

AJB135

Hi harveybobbles

I attended a Medical(for Incapacity Benefit back in September(due to depression), I failed as I did not get enough points, but I appealed and won(thank goodness).

Make sure that you tell the Dr at the Medical absolutely everything that is wrong with your OH.. Good luck for Wednesday. :grouphug::grouphug:

AJB135