PIP Assessments & Medical Evidence

My new PIP claim is stuck in the ATOS processing factory.

I completed the form before I started seeing a hospital physiotherapist. She says she will only respond to DWP/ATOS requests for info on my condition and will not give me evidence to send on.

ATOS has since told me to write in to DWP with the physio’s details and leave it to them if they want to write to the hospital.

Is this advice correct?

I mean the form and other evidence I enclosed ended up at ATOS for them to assess me, so why should I be writing to DWP with further info?

Could you help clarify this for me please?

Also, thinking ahead, suppose I am rejected for PIP by ATOS/DWP without them seeing further evidence like the type above? How could I support my appeal in that case if ATOS/DWP doesn’t feel the need to write to the hospital and the hospital won’t respond to my request? Is it a catch-22?

If it all ended like this, as part of my appeal, should I enclose a copy of the letter I will send to the DWP [if indeed you think it really should go there] which gives the physio’s details, and highlight the fact that no further evidence was sought by DWP/ATOS?

I have also been told that PIP assessments take up to 26 weeks and sometimes more. Is this true in reality?

Thank you

A

It is always a good idea when you visit a consultant, physio, rheumatologist etc etc from a refferral from your GP, to ask and sign for a copy of any paperwork, xrays etc they will be sending to your GP.
This way you receive the same letters that will be sent to your GP and therefore you have proof to be photocopied and attached to all your ATOS/DWP/ESA etc forms.
You usually ask for this request from the reception desk at the hospital or wherever you are seeing the specialist from. Quite often you hav to fill out a boring sheet for this letter to be sent to you, however it is worth doing and making sure it is in place each time you visit the specialist etc . This letter you are legally allowed to have so that both you and your GP have the same information. It is a useful way of being kept in the loop and provides excellent information to back up your forms for ESA/PIP/DLA

Hi Gordon

You stated ` If you were referred to your Physio by your GP then there are likely to be letters from them to your GP'

This is the first time this has happened to me.
Every HCP I have been treated by has always sent out info to my GP but this one didn`t

I was refered to a ESP by my GP and thought that my GP would be informed by the ESP, but was not for some strange reason

I only found out when I sent a SAR to my GP for this information and the ESP had not sent any info so I could not access it

So i had to send a SAR to the Physio Dept to retrieve it which cost me extra money

Bud

Hi B,

A letter/report will always be written after a consultation at outpatients or any other clinic updating the situation with the patient.

As PCM advised in the post before yours, you can make a request that any follow up letters/reports written as a result of a consultation are copied in to you.

There should not be any charge for this, there are usually no forms to fill in, and it is your right.

If you have any problems when making your request, you should contact PALS : www.nhs.uk/service-search/patient-advice...9/locationsearch/363 , at the hospital in question.

They will sort it out for you.

I see 4 different consultants at 4 different hospitals and I am copied in on all post clinic letters to my G.P. free of charge.

bro58

Thanks Bro and PSM. I did not realise that any follow up letters/reports writen as a result of the consultation from a referral to your GP can be copied to you on your request free of charge,
and again thanks Bro for that extra info in your post.

Psm wrote;
It is always a good idea when you visit a consultant from a referral from your GP to ask and sign for a copy of any paperwork they will be sending to your GP, which is great advice.

Please keep this statement in mind as I try to explain this

This is from my previous post, what Iam trying to tell you is the the ESP report from 2013 was not sent to my GP
I also stated every HCP I have been treated by has always sent info to my GP
But I was wrong ,there is another instance.

I would appreciate it if you would allow this post and to let me explain

My problems are of a physical nature.

Years ago when some one was referred to a physio you were then referred to a orthopedic
Now its a physio and then referred to an ESP

2010
I was referred to a health centre Physio Dept by my GP
When examined by the Physio there was a few red flag issues and he personally phoned the local hospital and I was fast tracked for an appointment with the Hospital ESP

ALL ESP reports and MRI scans were sent to my GP.

The Physio reports from the Health Centre was not.

2013
My Gp referred me to a health centre Physio Dept again the Physio referred me to the ESP
As I already said in my previous post I sent a SAR to the Physio Dept and retrieved the information.

Let me make this clear
The ESP and Physio made reports but none was sent to my GP
Which should have been

I have had Physio reports from the early eighties and nineties all was sent to my GP

The 2010 and 2013 episodes none were sent to my GP

I have copies of all the Physio reports from 2010 because I sent a SAR seperately to those
Depts

Bud