Medical Evidence

As many of you may be aware there has been a lot of press recently regarding GP’s providing or not providing medical evidence, and if they charge. An interesting article, and more telling comments, in this article

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/finance-and-practice-life-news/lmcs-face-legal-action-over-template-letters-for-gps-to-refuse-benefit-requests-from-patients/20004132.article

A depressing read, especially the exchanges of comments under the article. It all gets away from the point - which some commenters do make - that people are forced to ask for GP notes or they’ll get no money.

Sad to see some GPs’ tirades about ‘workshy’ people with ‘unwashed’ children etc. and equally sad to see attacks on GPs that just harden their stance. It’s almost as if a very successful divide-and-rule policy were operating in this country, but that of course is impossible.

This isn’t going to get any better when mandatory recon. covers the whole system. Worse, indeed.

Time for advisers to meet up with GPs in a rather more collegiate manner and apply joint pressure where it’s needed - to those who have created the system that says ‘GP letter or no money’ and which under mandatory recon. will simply confirm its own conclusions after a leisurely review, unless additional evidence is produced.

I already started a thread on this in “Other benefit & tax credit issues”

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/5250/
(edited to add link)