Morning All, new to this site, just found you this morning, you seem like a nice bunch
I've had Fibro for a while now, not getting any better, just worse So I have been forced down the ill health retirement route. MY Occ Health Dr, lovely though she is), thinks it will all clear up, but will try and support me through the process. I've worked for the NHS for 26 years.
Can any of you give me some advice on what to include in the forms, anything useful to include. Forms seem much more intimidating when you suddenly realise just how much your life has changed.
Any help much appreciated.
Fiona x
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Fiddly
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Are you part of a Union? If so strongly recommend you contact them. They will help with forms and represent you in meetings. Remember NHS (and other agencies) will do everything they can to avoid paying out for ill health retirement. This is mainly because it is very expensive for them! You will get same payments as if you had worked until retirement age. Don't want to be too much of a downer but is worrying that occ health doctor thinks you might get better!!? That may go against you which is another reason to seek advice.
Hi thanks for replying I am in a union but they have sent me a link to the form and said that's about all they can help with. My OH has sent a letter to occ H detailing the changes he has seen in me in the last 2 years so fingers crossed she gets on board!
I'm sorry but that is a rubbish response from the union! They should be supporting you. You will have paid enough money out over the years. Think you should phone head office!
Hi there welcome to this group the people here are absolutely wonderful. Even if someone does not have an answer for you they are still very supportive. I don't have any advise about retirement . But I can relate to having severe pain. I will be thinking of you . Please keep us up to date on how things are going.
Fibro is a name for a group of symptoms. It is not necessarily a cut and dry disease with no cure. Investigate whether muscle stretching makes any difference to your symptoms. You will have to look outside the NHS for this as there are very few people in the NHS who know how to stretch shortened muscle.
Stretching shortened muscle is a painful process and can take several months before the muscle is back at normal length.
You are looking at yoga, massage therapist, sports physiotherapist as some of the specialists to look at. It is a very much an investigation by yourself to see what is effective and what is not.
As regard to form filling find a local charity which specialises in benefit issues for help. Law is a specialised subject with meanings of words that can be different to the Oxford English dictionary.
Thanks for your advice, I have been seeing a specialist physio and we have been doing some muscle stretching. Trouble is I've had a spinal fusion so limited to what exercise I can do. The husband says dusting, cheeky sod x
I was a nurse in the NHS and had to 'retire' on medical grounds but I haven't applied for my pension or anything like that. I did have a good RCN rep who helped me through the horrendous 'dismissed on medical grounds' experience though.
I didn't go for my pension as I'll probably need it when I do retire (I'm 43) so am living on benefits so I don't know much about your form but if you give us an idea of what some of the questions are, we may be able to help! Many of us on here have had numerous forms to fill in for one claim or another so it might be worth a shot?!
I totally understand the frustration of being in pain and having to face a life changing situation; as has been said already, you need to get your union on board for this. They can't just give you the form; you've paid into that union so go higher up the chain of command if you need to!! At the very least they should meet with you face to face and give advice as to what's going to happen and help you fill in the form!!!!
Hi, thanks for replying, yes I think I will have to higher up the food chain to get some help. I'm concerned that my part of the ill health retirement form mentions nothing about how my illness effects me, that's all down to Part C which the OH cons completes. Part of me wants to send off a whole bundle of stuff but would they take the time to read it. This is all the last thing we all need, a heap of stress to add to the heap of pain! I had a meeting yesterday with my boss and HR and they did mention the ill health dismissal, great I thought! xx
I suggest that you get all your paperwork together, photocopy it and send it to the doctor who is filling in the 'how does the illness affect me?' part. I'd also write a formal personal statement that pinpoints exactly what the illness/disability means for you & how it now affects your daily life and send that too.
I'd also send a copy of this to your union rep' or whoever you feel should be helping you.
To be extra sure that everyone gets to know all about you; send this paperwork to the 'person' that the form will be sent to! Cover all bases; whether they read it is not for you to worry about! They need to know how severe & devastating this is for you and the fact that this is a life changing event.
Keep it factual; don't include too many 'emotional' statements but of course you can state the effect this is having on your emotional wellbeing.
Do you see a psychologist/psychiatrist/counsellor? Have they made any recommendations or written a prescription?
There are so many things you can put in the personal statement that can/may/will be missed out on the form if it's being written by someone else!!
Everyone involved should have comprehensive evidence of your current situation.
Well it's gone in the post, thank you all for your helpful comments. The form has a raft of paperwork, my blue badge assessment results, a statement from my other half of how he has seen me change, and a very comprehensive statement from me. So I shall now just have to wait and see what they say, I have everything crossed. xx
Hmmm well not sure, GP ran lots of blood tests that were sent to the Rheumatologist and she made the FM diagnosis. But I will check with my GP, thank you x
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So I have been forced down the ill health retirement route. MY Occ Health Dr, lovely though she is), thinks it will all clear up, but will try and support me through the process. I've worked for the NHS for 26 years.
Wishing u all Health and happiness 
Furious with the NHS
