As all of you will
no doubt be aware, Black Triangle and our sister organisation Disabled People
Against Cuts have assembled a first-class legal team to take forward legal action against Local Medical Committees and individual
GPs who have launched a disgraceful ‘Just Say No’ to providing Further Medical Evidence
Campaign.
This
campaign seeks to persuade GPs to deny sick and/or disabled patients the Further
Medical Evidence (FME) required to support their ESA applications and achieve
justice before First-Tier Social Security Appeals Tribunals.
We have already
identified a number of cases with “standing”.
Our law requires
that the party, or parties bringing a case before the courts must
demonstrate:
“sufficient interest in the matter to which the application relates”
i.e.
“an individual who is directly affected by a decision or other measure” who will on that basis have a “sufficient interest”.
In our case, this
means anyone who has requested FME from their GP to support their case with the
DWP and has been refused (Their refusal to provide FME is the matter to
which our legal action relates).
We now invite as
many of you as possible who have been refused FME under this policy to make
contact with us immediately so we can progress our case further, in the most
legally watertight manner achievable, without further delay.
Sick and/or disabled people deserve and have an absolute right to expect better than this from our medical professionals.
The LMCs ‘Just Say No’ Campaign is a a disgraceful betrayal of patients by LMCs from across Britain.
It is, quite frankly, mercenary behaviour that is both morally repugnant and, as we shall fully demonstrate, unlawful.
We are going to put a stop to it.
In the initial
stage, please text John McArdle at 07778316875 with ‘Refused FME by my GP’ in the line. We will
then phone you back to discuss your case and take it from there.
John
McArdle
Co-Founder
Black Triangle
Campaign
Edinburgh, 7th October 2013
