Just to highlight comments received over the last few days.
The DWP when requesting a medical report on you. Under there own guidelines should be approaching your HIV consultant.
As there can be a delay in response from some consultants. Some contributors have noticed that the DWP is sending a second medical report request to the GP.
If this has happened to you. Please let us know.
On the forms you get from the DWP you consent to them approaching any medical practioner that you deal with. For a medical report. If you do not give this consent on the form this could end up with your benefit being withdrawn.
You are not entitled to a copy of the medical report before the DWP have received it only after.
They actively encourage GP's in-particular, not to engage with patients before the doctor submits a medical report on you.
See this article on the Benefits & Work website (you may need to be a member). It links to a document titled "Advice to GP's completing Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Factual Reports (DWP - Jan 2008)" it states "Your report should be based upon your knowledge of the patient and the medical records. It is not necessary to interview the patient, as any information they provide, especially with regard to mobility and self care may not necessarily be objective." Of course the GP would need to have knowledge of your HIV and how it affects you.
Clearly this can create a problem if your GP doesn't know about your HIV or the specifics of ongoing treatment under the care of your consultant.
If you want to know what your doctor is writing concerning your health to any third party. Even where you have given your consent. You can (in writing) ask your doctor to let you have access to any report, for your review. Before they submit it on to the requesting 3rd party. You can also have access to any medical information held about you under the Data Protection Act.
We are working on the structure of such a letter and will post it to the main site when done.
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2 comments:
i hope that its not the case, as you know many people have not informed their gp of their hiv status,(something that is mentioned in the dwp handbook) so if they start making decisions on the reports from gps then it will surely give a totally different picture of someones health, if this is true its a sad turn of affairs
From website blog.
Yes I fully agree. It is just that some have commented on other posts. I just highlighted it as I thought it best to make people aware. Forewarned is Forearmed.
John.
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