Reblogged from WOW Petition:
The article in today’s Pulse magazine 23/08/13, is shocking and frightening in
equal measure. Doctors guided by their LMCs, may refuse to provide any
supporting documentation for claimants of sickness and disability benefits, in
their applications or appeals.
Pulse: LMC leaders
plan campaign to encourage GPs to 'just say no' to benefit
requests
If a government body, namely the DWP, guided by government
policy, demands evidence of a person’s sickness or disability, and a public
employee refuses that request as it is not in their remit, where is a person to
turn?
On the one hand they are being asked to prove they are
ill/disabled, provide evidence of how it affects their daily living and their
medication etc. On the other hand they are being refused the evidence by a
public servant, what are they to do? We would argue that this comes under the
Disability Discrimination Act as the disabled person is clearly being
discriminated against. They have no power to demand evidence as it is not in
their GPs job description, but on the other hand the government demand it.
There is no tick box on the form that says not to worry if your GP
refuses to help you, we will believe you, honest. Is it therefore just tough
luck?
We would argue that this is clearly a hostile situation, which
leaves the welfare claimant destitute and desperate. Surely the European Courts
of Human Rights would have something to say about this. Would GP’s be found to
be not making reasonable adjustments to enable their disabled patients to
maintain their own lives?
We would rather work WITH doctors to protect
the health and human rights of sick & disabled people and
carers.
This proposed LMC campaign is short sighted, hostile and will
inevitably lead to immense suffering and even deaths of disabled people. Surely
the BMA who have condemned the WCA will find a way to allow doctors to protect
their patients and be resourced to help their patients survive the abuse heaped
upon them by the DWP.
This is a clear violation of an individual’s human
rights, one governmental body demanding evidence and one refusing. The sick and
disabled, through no fault of their own, are caught in the crossfire. Where is
the LMC’s duty of care?
