Thyroid problems regarded as a disability under the Equalities Act 2010

[Josephineinamachine]

Hallo

I’m sure I’ve seen this posted somewhere before so sorry if I’m raising a much debated topic again.

After a really difficult 18 months generally, but specifically work-wise, I’m now thinking about next academic year…

Hours for duties allocation was changed a few years ago which has resulted in unmanageable workloads for everyone.

The union jumps up and down about work loading but people are generally too worn down now to take action, and the employer has us all over a barrel anyway because ‘plenty of other people want our jobs’. Same story pretty much everywhere in most professions now I would imagine.

So, I’m starting to slightly panic at the thought of next academic year with yet another increase to my work load (somehow my employer has found the trick to altering the entire space/time continuum by allocating more work but calculating it in a different way so that hours don’t ‘look’ increased) 🤔

Maybe I’ll be fine by September but it’s a long way to Tipperary, so who knows?? I’ve been on my knees with this thing for over about 18 months - probably longer - and honestly don’t know how I’ve done it!

I looked at the link below which talks about thyroid problems being a recognised disability and that Under the Eq Act employers are legally bound to consider reasonable adjustments…

There’s a sticky point though:

‘However, adequate treatment should prevent any symptoms related to the disability from this point onwards.’

So how many people are told they are ‘adequately treated’ while still experiencing symptoms, and how many in the medical profession are going to support someone requesting reasonable adjustments by admitting to ‘inadequate treatment’?

markvanderpump.co.uk/blog/p...

[Lotika]

I can tell you that I think my previous employer- who made me redundant - was scared that it could be regarded as a disability in law, judging by the payout. It was equal to what I’d get at tribunal. I think there is a BTF sponsored journal article saying that around 15% of hypo patients still have symptoms when on medication. It is reasonable to expect that some of those need T3 or NDT and can’t access it, some of those have a GP who thinks that “in range = adequately medicated”… and perhaps some are just unlucky. It says that hashis patients are disproportionately more likely to be in that 15%. I guess it is a question of arguing what adequately treated means? Relief of hypo symptoms, I would have thought? If we define it that way then I wonder if I will ever manage to be adequately treated! I was told I was adequately treated for years whilst being refused fT3 tests… which proved that I wasn’t, finally… So, yeah, I’m sure there’s plenty of that.

[Josephineinamachine in reply to Lotika]

Jeez. That’s scary, but I’m glad you at least eventually had a good pay out. Well done. I imagine it was not a pleasant journey to that point though 🙁

The first thing the new V.Chancellor did on arrival - The Very First Thing! - couple years back was to change all redundancy payouts to the statutory minimum.

That set the tone quite clearly 😳

[ElephantShrew in reply to Josephineinamachine]

wow. that's quite a first move ☹️

[Wired123 in reply to Lotika]

Do you have a link to that BTF journal please Lotika? It would be really useful. TIA

[Lotika in reply to Wired123]

Sorry this has taken me a while! I needed to get to a document I wrote for a thyroid charity (as yet unpublished) on the home 'pooter... In this particular part of it, I was exploring the old "high expectations among thyroid patients" gambit, which drives me bonkers. So, it turns out that my 15% comes from some research yet unpublished which I was reflecting on, but it's common to hear thyroidologists refer to any number between 10-20%.

I did refer to this article which is useful in stating the fairly obvious, that some of us continue to have symptoms on LT4 monotherapy... if that's of any use with an employer. Not paywalled. Well done Wiley.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

[Josephineinamachine in reply to Lotika]

Thank you!! This is really helpful! 😊

[Lotika in reply to Josephineinamachine]

Great! This might also be helpful… Topic 4 mentions much about “dissatisfied patients” on LT4 monotherapy… and I’m particularly thinking the references kn this section might send you into some interesting literature.

karger.com/Article/FullText...

Also, I’m sure the NICE Guidelines on hypothyroidism mention that not everyone does well on LT4 monotherapy… it just doesn’t say what should be done with us 😡

[Lotika in reply to Josephineinamachine]

OK - NICE guidelines - in the expanded part (rationale) under 1.3.7 acknowledges that some people still report feeling unwell on levo only…

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145/...

[Josephineinamachine in reply to Lotika]

Thank you for this Lotika. I’ve just had a private prescription for T3 (still waiting to find out if it will work for me). I think the thing I am really struggling with is every time I have a dose change to try to get me ‘right’ I go through a spiky period of cognitive decline! I’m either slow and foggy, or scatty and unable to concentrate. This seems to be the majority of the time but spikes more with changes. It’s very tiring in itself. I’m going to have to speak to my manager about it this week because I have kept quiet for a year and tried really hard just to get on with it, but it’s not getting any better. Thank you for your help so much!! x

[Lotika in reply to Josephineinamachine]

I know what you mean! I am 7 months into T3/T4 trial and still have lots of cognitive issues - forgetting stuff, brain fog, that kind of thing… I made the mistake of thinking that getting prescribed T3 was the whole battle and that somehow the endocrinologist and I would find the right dose really fast. It just hasn’t happened that way, unfortunately, so I guess the message to the line manager is that you don’t have a time frame and sometimes people can take up to a year to find their right dose, perhaps?

[Josephineinamachine in reply to Lotika]

Thank you - yes I think that has to be my argument. Normally I’m quite a hopeful person but this last year has been so frustrating that I now don’t feel I’ll ever be well again.

I’m sorry it’s taking you so long!

Physically I am starting to feel better (less pain) but brain fog and concentration problems seem to have increased though - but then it is early days so…back to hopeful again.

Emotional rollercoaster!

🙄

[Buddy195 Administrator]

I teach & my union were helpful in arranging meetings with the OT & my headteacher to sort out a ‘tailored adjustment plan’ to help with my Hashi & TED symptoms. Are you in a union?

[Josephineinamachine in reply to Buddy195]

Hi Buddy, thank you, yes I belong to the union. Did your tailored adjustment plan involve work load relief, or was it more about having more flexible hours? I think you must be in a school (given that you have a headteacher) so must be teaching 9 - 3 every day?

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Josephineinamachine]

I teach part time; any time I have off with Hashimotos/ TED isn’t classed as ‘sick leave’ as such/ ie I have no ‘discipline’ worries. I also have a bigger pc screen, dimmable lights (associated with my TED needs). NEU attended my meetings & were fantastic. Definitely think you could get more flexible working if that helps you. Best wishes to you.

[Josephineinamachine in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you Buddy. Feeling a bit desperate at the moment and very frustrated with myself x

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Remember to keep posting if you need advice, support or simply to let off steam…. We are here to help one another! 😊