No space for GP, or more than one doctor

[Pritti]

I received the form last week but couldn't face it. It is due on 14th, so I decided to do it a bit at a time. First I have to sort out the mass of medical history and past IB forms, etc.

 

Sorry, waffling.

 

I downloaded the form and typed up answers to some of the questions after going on this forum once I got the Phone Call.

 

Now I see that the space for doctor provides for anyone except my gp.

 

It also doesn't allow for more than one condition and more than one doctor

 

I have epilepsy. The last time I saw a consultant was a few years ago when a brain scan revealed a little lump on my brain. I refused to have it removed, given the small chance of success vs greater chance I'd be worse. I was discharged from the hospital and my medication is monitored by my gp.

 

Now, if I fill in this Professor's name, the one who saw me years ago, he will no doubt not know me from the woman in the moon.

 

Recently I saw a consultant with regard to my spine problems. He knows that particular condition very well, since he did a lumbar steroid procedure last week. But he can't attest to my epilepsy

 

Last year I saw a therapist with regard to my mental health issues but ran out of my allocated number of sessions and had to go back on the waiting list for another cycle.

 

Which of these do I use?

 

I am tempted to put my GP and then add an additional page with the details of the other people, including the consultant who hasn't seen me for my epilepsy in years.

 

My epilepsy was the main reason I won my appeal last time ATOS tried to remove my IB, so I think this is my main condition to use? Or should I cite them all?

 

Last but not least, I have now done the physical section of the form, repeating exactly what I told the tribunal last time. They awarded me 15 points for the epilepsy and 6 for the musculo-skeletal problems. The mental health issues were not considered serious enough for enough points to meet the minumum standard.

 

So, should I disregard the mental health issues or still raise them, since they still exist? I had a very bad bout and had to be medicated again a few months ago, and am currently dangerously on the brink of the black hole again.

 

Or should I just do the physical?

 

CAn anyone help me fill out the mental health side?

[RaeUK]

You use all of them. You can add as many additional A4 pages as you so desire - you're not confined to just the spaces on the form. As long as you put your name and NI number on each page, try to reference which part of the form the info refers to and securely attach the lot to the ESA50.

[Pritti]

Thank you. Given it's 2:10 am, I guess you share my insomnia! It's kind of you to reply so quickly. I will do the same with all the other questions where they provide too little space for detail.

[Invalidation]

With my ESA50 on a lot of questions I simply put:

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED NOTES.

I then sent in 8 A4 Pages of notes.

 

Then again they lost the lot, including the ESA50

[Nystagmite]

There should also be an extra information box on the form.

[seanamarts]

These forms are frustrating enough, they should add extra pages for extra notes, not just a third of a page for the extra info.

[Pritti]

OK. Thank you all. I have now said "see additional page..." to all the questions requiring extra space and have added the extra pages and referenced them as suggested above. I will also photocopy the lot and someone said to send it all recorded delivery. Now, given the fact that I can actually do things like push a button and don't wet myself, I suppose I will go, at best, into a WRAG. Because the anxiety is driving me crazy and into real fits several times per day, I am going to calm myself by checking the worst case scenario and preparing for that. Worst case: no benefit - hope husband's redundancy lasts until he gets a job (pray hard) Second best: get ESA and put into wrag - now can anyone tell me what this involves? I read somewhere that it's time limited. I thought that I would then use them to prepare myself for doing some kind of work from home, the kind I can do on days that I feel well. eg will they pay for training in online journalism so that I can use my research background and writing experience from long ago, but updated to use new media? I can then use the time limited esa to get myself off the ground and build a small, if insecure income, maybe? This is the only way I can deal with this anxiety. To prepare for the worst.

[reallymadwoman]

Since I suffer from quite a large number of different conditions I found it easier to list them all on a separate page and for each to give the date it was diagnosed, by whom and what method (e.g. scan, blood test), and who it is or was being treated by. I then gave a list of the names, addresses and phone numbers of every single professional involved in my health care, including the practice nurse who is actually probably the person who knows best how various things affect me.

[mr_mastiff]

Hi Pritti, Make sure you put your National Insurance number on each page as well as your name. List each page in the space at the back of the booklet. Keep a soft/hard copy of everything from experience separete sheets have a bad habit of going missing. If you record each sheet in the booklet you can prove that x number of sheets were sent. Hope this helps you.