Medical Records

[paula36]

Hi to everybody on here. I wonder if anybody could help me with something. Today i received a letter regarding my Employment Support Allowance telling me they have forwarded a copy of everything on my case, giving their reasons for their decision, to the Tribunals Service. They say they will get in touch to explain what happens next with my appeal. Does anybody know if i can get a copy of my Physio medical report from my hospital. When i went for my medical back in June, because that particular day i could sit and stand, they seem to think i can go back to work. If i could get my medical report from physio then could i use that in my appeal to show them how different i really am on a day to day basis. Im getting so stressed out with this on-going and does not help my Lupus at all. Any help would be appreciated on this matter.

[fabwheelie]

I think you should be able to get a copy of the physio report. For my appeal I asked my GP and my consultant for letters to support that my appeal that I could not work etc, and they did so. Also if you are a member of the charity Lupus UK e-mail them with basic details and ask them to do a letter to help your appeal.

It is also worth seening if your local council social services dept have a welfare rights officer who would help you in your appeal and act as your representative

[paula36 in reply to fabwheelie]

Thank you all for the help and advice you have given me. I have joined Lupus Uk who have sent me a supporting letter, but it feels like even though I have sent them this they are taking no notice of me. I'm going to contact my physio on Monday at the hospital and see if they can give me a copy of my records. It's just feels like I'm banging my head against a brick wall and they don't believe a word I am telling them. Once again thank you all.

[Lupylass]

Under the Data Protection Act you have a right to all your medical records. Your GP may have the physio report (easiest place to try?) but if not you can approach the physio dept direct. Requesting copies of your notes is called a Subjecf Access Request, and you may be charged for this, but some GPs will give you without a charge.

Good luck

[Herb]

Yes, you can definitely get a copy.

[hazelHollingsworth]

You have rights to ALL YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY - put a request in to your doctor if they refered you, or to the Hospital if it was them - You are allowed to Look at them but if you want a copy you are supposed to pay. Depends if you get a friendly secretary as I did. I explained the reason I wanted them and was allowed 1hr to look through them before deciding what I needed.. Good Luck. I won at my appeal, hope you do.x

[paula36]

Thank you Hazel. I'm wanting a copy of my physio medical records over the last few months. I will need a copy of them to forward on to my appeal. Hope they can give me them. x

[gemzi]

Yes you deffo have the right to ask for a full medical report from your rheumatologist or pysio. erm... I am in the same situatuion, I was on a good day and explained to them, I am very sore and cannot get out of bed most days, they didnt accept that, and now its got to go through tribunals etc! I Was in hospital due to it, a couple months later after the appointment, and so need to recover again... stupid really! how they think i can go and do 40 hour a week work! i can completely emphathise with you on this one. you can aslo ask for the actually paperwork of the ATOS appointment, with all the information they said about you on it etc, and then you can read it thoroughly and go through it with the tribual. hope this helps.

[paula36 in reply to gemzi]

Hi gemzi. The job centre sent me back everything i have filled in and sent to them and my medical report from atos, which says in the letter they think im ok just because i could stand for 2 mins that day. This is whats prompted me to ask the question because since having a medical with them in June i have got worse and this would be in my medical report from my physio. They also told me to bring all this paperwork to my tribunal. So im trying to get together as much evidence as possible. Im going to contact the physio in the morning and hope they can do this for me. Thank you for your advice on this matter.

[paula36 in reply to paula36]

Im so sorry to hear Gem that you are too suffering with this. We have enough stress as it is without the added pressure of tribunals. I just wish atos and the job centre could see how we are on a day to day basis. They would soon change their minds. Alot of it is they dont even know what Lupus is. When i was speaking to somebody from the job centre the other day he didnt even know how to spell lupus let alone know about it. What chance do we have when people do not bother to research about illnesses.