Any rights at work?

I wonder if anyone can help me? I am suffering quite badly at the moment with my asthma and as such am using my car to take my son to school and then get to work (3 mile trip one way). the company I work for now have told me I have no right to have a staff permit (for which I pay 12 quid a month). As i live within a mile and a half radius of the work place. I explained that I am the sole carer for my child and need drop him off and sometimes my asthma wont let me walk up the stairs much less the 800 metres they stipulate. Never the less I was denied a permit despite GP intervention. Does anyone have any info that would help me? Who do I work for...........the NHS. Go on you can laugh.

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Are you a union member? If so, go along to speak to them, they will be able to advise and intervene with HR or whichever department is responsible for such beaucracy. They'd also be able to tell you where you stand on this in terms of the DDA and the legal requirements it gives.

If you aren't a union member, the reps are often happy to give advice, just not the interventions etc that they would support with members.

Don't allow them to brush you off, the NHS are a total nightmare when dealing with health conditions in their staff. My partner had all manner of trouble with occ health before starting work for them. I do hope they get things sorted for you soon.

P x

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Is your asthma affecting your sick time. If it does then u mite get a better chance of a permit. Contact your union for advice or see a disability work adviser at the job centre. Depending on severity of asthma u may be covered by disability discrimination act. Best of luck. I also work for Nhs do know how u feel

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Had a lot of contact with OH and my union and work have to be seen to be helping you to make your job better for you if got a disability .

when I had my sticks work were brill and when had cast on were brill and now have asthma are brill.

I had a blue badge as had mobility probs and helped me get about but carnt believe you carnt get it for asthma as i have tried and on my bad days find it hard to get out and walk far but then again we dont get free prescriptions also xxx

edit-asthma covered by DDA

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I also work for the NHS, and was granted a staff parking permit after my manager wrote to the car parking department explaining my condition and something along the lines of - getting buses/walking more than I have to makes me more likely to be off work poorly, therefore giving me an on site parking permit means I'd be able to work more. Obviously they phrased it much better than that!

Also, definitely get Occupational Health involved. Their support could make all the difference.

As as side note, most people expect the NHS to be great employers when it comes to working for them with a health condition. My experiences lead me to conclude that is really not the case

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hi,

would keep trying for one and hope next time you get it .

good luck love Glynis xxxx

[Cakelady70]

what a wonderful employer!

Yep you guessed it, I also work for NHS. Car park fair distance from work base. Chest plays up and yes I can walk it but no I can't breathe and no i can't work once I'm there. good job a&e on site as frequent visitor.

Advice given is to apply for blue badge but all the forms I've read say not covered for fluctuating conditions...what do we do????

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Yes I too work for the NHS!! The best support I have had was from occupational health. I was really worried when I was referred to them especially as you can't see them face to face as it is a contracted out service and they are down in Plymouth. They were so supportive and wrote to my managers spelling out the severity of my condition and even quoting death rates for good measure ( not at all what I was expecting!). They have said things like ... should not do any heavy lifting, sit next to photocopiers/printers, walk long distances or uphill, etc. Once my managers had the letter they wrote to all the schools that I visit and told them that as I now had a disability I would need access to parking nearby, a room near the office to work in and would not be able to go up and down stairs. This caused quite a stir among those that knew me well before I went on sick leave, but they have mostly been very good.

On the subject of the blue badge I did apply for one and was refused on the grounds that my condition is variable.

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thanks guys

Thanks for you messages, I will try the union rep. Sat at work here on a salbutamol overdose hands shaking so sorry for the typing. Occupational health are the ones blocking the permit!!!!!!! They say that thousands of people have asthma and dont need a permit and asthma is not a vriteria for permit. I will try the manager thing too of saying i sit for 15 mins wheezing when i get in, that might help. Im also going to cc the appeal letter to a lawyer. Im fed up of the bloody nhs especially as they will have to fund the nebuliser (LOL)

[angievere]

Just as a post script to this - I wonder if the new Equalities Act will affect your situation with regard to a permit? Might be worth checking it out. Good luck, I hope you get it sorted.

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I have had my occy heqalth appt and apparently because asthma is a variable condition it is not enough to grant a permit. there you go so override the GP, force me to walk 6 miles, ignore child care implications and sick leave increases and tardiness etc......Thank you NHS

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I have had my occy health appt and apparently because asthma is a variable condition it is not enough to grant a permit. There you go! override the GP, force me to walk 6 miles, ignore child care implications and sick leave increases and tardiness etc......Thank you NHS nice to know you care

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hi.wonder if u would quolify for a blue badge.!

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Hi there!

If you have difficulty walking 25 metres or less you will qualify for a Disabled Drivers Parking Permit (Blue Badge), and if your local council (who issue the badge) are as good as mine you'll have no trouble. My council has all applicants checked by a senior physiotherapist, and my badge was issued less than an hour after my ten minute checkup.

John

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How ridiculous to ignore your condition! Do you see a consultant? Could they send a letter to support what both you and your GP say? Keep fighting, also ask them exactly what they think you should do if they think you shouldn't be driving! In the mean time, look into a bus pass, I saved a small fortune on getting to my placement by buying one. Depending on how old your son is could he get a school bus? Does he have a friend who lives near by that he might be able to get a lift with. None of these suggestions are ideal, but I don't know what else to suggest.

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thanks for the suggestions but there are no buses to the school or from the school to the hospital and he is only 4. I dont think I would get a blue badge based on the asdthma judging from what a friend went through to get hers for a leg injury. I am going to write a snotty letter to the car parking people and threaten to sue them if I end up in hospital again. not that they'll care I bet they've all got permits.

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thanks for the suggestions but there are no buses to the school or from the school to the hospital and he is only 4. I dont think I would get a blue badge based on the asdthma judging from what a friend went through to get hers for a leg injury. I am going to write a snotty letter to the car parking people and threaten to sue them if I end up in hospital again. not that they'll care I bet they've all got permits.

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DDA

Can anyone confirm if asthma is covered by the DDA and if so is it covered completey or only in certain cases ie at employers discretion

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I was told depends on severity of asthma if it's covered by the dda.

Also the country ur residing in. In Scotland it's at the employers discretion or by a court of law if the dda applies to your asthma.

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Just wanted to say I work for the NHS too. I didn't qualify for a parking permit either as I'm only 1 bus trip away (but 5miles away) but on my application I put that I had to take my two young kids (were then 2 and 3) to childcare so I got a 'red pass' which means I have to pay £1.50 a day to park (cheaper than the bus but more than a usual pass). I don't know if your place have a similar loophole? At the time I hadn't been diagnosed with asthma, but will put this on the form when I have to reapply.