Good Afternoon everyone, I hope you are all keeping well.
Just a quick update with where Iam with my Copd and working.
After a long wait I finally had an occupational health appointment this week and the nurse was in agreement I should go forward and apply for medical retirement.
She did say though it’s very hard to be approved but she also said I was a risk to be working on a ward, with the copd symptoms and a collapsed lung. I will have to wait and see , with the outcome.
Waiting also to be appointed a new manager as the horrible one is off sick at the moment. 😀😀
Anyway will spend the weekend trying to fill out another form. Maybe I could get a form filling job next with how many forms I have had to fill out lately. 😂 Hope everyone has a good weekend and stay safe❤️
Issy X
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Issy22
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Hi Issy. Positive news I think. When I applied for ill health retirement from teaching with chronic fatigue syndrome I was told by my union that I wouldn’t get it. However I did. I think it was down to the wording on my consultants letter and a supportive report from occupational health. Make sure you jump through all of the relevant hoops and you should be fine.
Thank you Troilus that’s good to hear. Iam trying to stay positive. I already have a good consultant letter. The occ health nurse is one of the best ones there and she is happy to write a report, so fingers crossed. Thanks again xx
I had been wondering how you were getting on with your work situation. That all sounds very positive, I hope they will accept medical retirement for you, it sounds very stressful to be working on a ward with COPD! Helen
Hi Helen it’s taken so long just to get an occupational health appointment. The first one they cancelled. I hope they will accept medical retirement. Otherwise I don’t know what I will do, no company would accept an employee with copd and a collapsed lung. X
I hope they will accept it too, and I appreciate the hoops you have to jump through are ridiculous l! I hope I can keep working as long as possible (office job) as I don't have any kind of occupational pension and would be at the mercy of PIP!!! xx
The stress levels are ridiculous at the moment .Coming to terms with a diagnosis and now the end of my nursing career being over. If only I could fast forward a few months 😂
I wish that I had worked in an office then I could have possibly worked from home.
Hopefully you can keep well, long enough to carry on working and If you can’t you have paid your taxes and are entitled to claim what’s available to you.
As I’ve mentioned before, I worked for local government for many years. Three years ago I was medically retired so I know the hoops you have to jump through. Ensure your gp is onside. My gp was asked for a report. I warned her that she would be asked for one. The report she gave was very factual and gave the information required.
Hope all goes smoothly for you and let us know if there is anything we can do in support.
Hi Izzy I got my medical retirement from gp an occupational health with an independent doctor who dropped me to 2 days a week until it wasn't viable anymore. I was 54
Thank you BOxermad , you was a similar age and you were lucky your employer let you drop to 2 days. My employer won’t let me come back part- time because of the environment I work in any infection will make my illness worse. x
Luckily I was in a special needs school environment as a teachers assistant and it was good of them to accommodate me,although it was 6months after I retired completely
I was finished from my job on capability grounds in March 2016 , I asked my unison rep about I’ll health retirement and she told me that if i could put a card in a box I wouldn’t get it as she went through the same as a head teacher and couldn’t get it. I was crippled with spinal and all of my joints osteoarthritis, had my gallbladder removed and was having issues but the main was chronic pain with osteoarthritis and mobility issues. Occupational health even advised me to go for ill health retirement. I took notice of the rep then in the November had a subarachnoid haemorrhage which would have gave me I’ll health retirement.
I really wish I hadn’t listened to that rep though and have gone for I’ll health retirement as occasional health were on my side.
Wendy I hope you feel much better now , you have been through so much.
My union rep is a lovely woman but doesn’t seem to say much in meetings. When I first mentioned to her could I take medical retirement she said your 55 you can just take your normal NHS pension.
Which I was going to do but my manager said the only reason you would be giving up work is because you are ill. The ill health pension is a much better package.
I feel you have missed out and I think you would definitely have got it. When we are sick we seem to always go for the easiest option, because we already have enough to deal with. I feel like that but I have to stay positive and at least give it a try.
Please look after yourself and thank you for sharing your story and experience.
Some of the advice people were given re ill health retirement is absolutely dreadful and incorrect. Your rep was wrong in saying just take pension at 55. It would be a reduction of pension and could cost thousands in lost money. The whole reason ill health retirement is difficult is because (especially on top tier) it costs a lot of money to the authority or NHS. You are viewed as retiring at normal age ie 67yrs so don’t loose money.
I understand reps can’t know everything. My rep wasn’t great! But I would expect them to go away and find out!!
Thank you Bevvy. I get the impression my rep has not represented anyone who has medically retired before. Everything she is asked in the meetings ,she replies I will have to look it up. But she never does. It's too late now to ask for a different rep. I know it’s probably going to be difficult, but I have to try. I have worked hard all these years looking after patients, now Iam the patient hopefully they will look after me. Have a good day.
Retiring may be a good option for you. I have had Broncheictasis with asthma since my early 40s (I'm 74 now). I was working full time, taking college courses at night for several years, raising 3 children with my husband, who worked long hours. I was always having shortness of breath. Countless trips to the ER, hospital stays and bronchscopies.
Since I retired 9 years ago (less stress), kids are grown and on their own, moved to an area with better air quality and moved into a newly built house (no hidden mold), I have felt better. No ER visits, hospital stays, and no bronchscopies.
Look at your environment. Is there something that you maybe allergic to.
Thank you Beth. I admire how you carried on with everything during your illness. It is good to hear that you are feeling better since you moved.
I unfortunately live in London ,which is terrible for air pollution. But I can’t blame it all on the environment or any allergy . I think it’s my own stupidity of smoking for many years that has caused my illness. I only have myself to blame.
I have officially been diagnosed with copd from many tests. I also have a collapsed lung that will not heal.
The problem now is the environment that I worked in. I can’t go back to working in a hospital where I would be susceptible to further infection and definitely would not be able to breathe wearing a mask.
Retirement hopefully will elevate some of my stress and I can concentrate on my health.
Just a heads up, for teachers there are two levels of ill health retirement partial and total I’d imagine nurses would have similar- the criteria to qualify for ill health retirement for teachers for total meant I had to exhaust all medical intervention… they originally denied me the total because I haven’t had lung transplant… with a bit of a battle between the teaching pension agency and unions I eventually was awarded the total Ill health retirement pension. This total award means a slightly higher pension for hours worked to date and potentially half of what I could have accumulated had I been able to carry on working until official retirement age. This means I can’t work any other jobs to be honest lots of days are a struggle especially without ambulatory oxygen so holding down a job wouldn’t be easy anyway. You need to weigh up if you can hold down another job or seek the higher ill health retirement award. Good luck.
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