Important News

[Blackwitch]

Just read this if you want to feel sick!

voxpoliticalonline.com/2014...

[Hidden]

this is pure madness lost for words

[nomoreheels]

This is just asking for our already cash strapped, overrun hospitals being filled to capacity. What about mentally ill patients, cancer patients, us? What about people in a similar position to my h after suffering severe pancreatitis, 3 weeks in ICU on parenteral feed & weeks on end recuperating in a side ward & needing 9 months recovery time at home before, at last, being told he was fit enough to return to work by his Specialist?

Talk about a backward step!

[Hidden]

Nothing surprises me anymore with this government.

[Hidden]

This Government are just an uncaring bunch of bleeps. They care only for the rich. I think I will go live in Scotland.

[casa23kk in reply to Hidden]

You would be very welcome to come to Sotland i was an undecided voter but since being diagnosed with RA in March i am going to vote YES because am totaly dissolusioned with all parties involved in westminster I know it's a bit of a leap in the dark but it Can't be any worse.LOL

[RandomUser]

This is a forum (I thought) for discussing health issues that affect us as individuals, not a political discussion group! But if it is going to be a political debating zone we should keep it at the level of reasoned debate, not just this sort of slag-off stuff.

[Blackwitch in reply to RandomUser]

I'm sorry if this offended you but this may affect a lot of people on this forum, political though it is. Benefits of every sort have been discussed previously because they are (sadly) needed in many cases. When the goalposts change, I feel it only fair to inform people.

"In two months time the traditional doctor’s note excusing you from work will start to cease being valid if you are still sick after four weeks.

Just before Parliament went into the summer recess welfare reform minister, Lord Freud, announced that a US multinational company,Maximus, which also operates in Canada and Saudi Arabia will take over running the new Health and Work Service for England and Wales.

My report in this week’s Tribune reveals that up to one million people will be affected by the change which appears to be aimed to save the government money.

Maximus runs call centres, occupational health programmes, child support and job seekers programmes abroad and in the United Kingdom.

The programme is to be rolled out from November to next May aims to save up to £165 million a year by getting people back to work faster as part of Lord Freud’s welfare reforms.

The Scottish government has declined to contract out the work to the private firm and will keep the assessment programme as part of the public service.

More worryingly it appears that the private company which will make the decision will not see anyone – and create a Return to Work programme via a call centre telephone interview and a decision by email.

The package is supposed to be agreed between the sick person and the private company and sent to both the individual and their employer. Failure to co-operate with the service will mean the individual will lose their sick pay.

Lord Freud is quoted in a DWP press releaseemphasising how the scheme will improve economic productivity and get people back to work faster.

He says:”Providing support where it’s needed most will help to reduce the length of time employees take off sick which, in turn, will cut sick pay costs, improve economic output and reduce the chances of people falling out of work and having to claim benefits. “

After the cruel and nasty system that forced disabled people to find work or lose benefits run by the French company, ATOS, I have a suspicion that this new system could push the sick back to work before they are ready.

While ATOS did this by personal interviews and tests, Maximus look like putting the sick back to work without examining them to see they are fit and well. No doubt the government will see it as another way to tackle the workshy. But even employers’ advisers are sceptical about this. This new development needs watching."