obtaining medical records for uc50

emlg1222

hello,
i made an earlier post about a fit note but wanted to ask about a separate subject. hope that is ok here. The uc50 form i will be helping my fiance to fill out says we should include any medical evidence for the lcwra. We haven't got any medical evidence, however the doctor does. The doctor has evidence of previous appointments for his health conditions, in which I would assume the doctor has written somewhat of a report on. There is also previous sick notes from when he was working, previous prescriptions for medications (which i guess can also be proof of diagnosis if the doctor hasnt got records of that, they wouldnt prescribe antidepressants for depression if he didnt have it if that makes sense haha), referral letters to the urology department in the hospital, and I would assume results from my fiance's tests and scans/ultrasounds back from the department as the doctor spoke to my fiance and said that there were no clear physical things causing his urinary incontinence and he believed it was due to his severe anxiety. Are we able to request copies of these things from the doctor? What is needed and what isn't? Is this sufficient enough for the uc50? And is there anything else I could ask the doctor for in terms of evidence for the uc50 other than the fit note which is required already. He has severe depression, anxiety and urinary incontinence and i believe him to be agoraphobic but this hasnt been discussed with the doctor if this information helps.
Thanks and sorry for the ramble

janer1967

Hi again 

You can request copies of medical records from gp 

However a lot of what you mention isn't relevant eg appt letters,  referrals 

What you need is copy of current prescription any letters confirming condition any assessments done like ot assessments,  any mental health assessments and more important anything detailing how his condition would prevent him from working 

Less is more and should be relevant and not too put of date 

Cher_Alumni

Hi @emlg1222 I hope you're doing ok today

In addition to what @janer1967 advised, maybe look at the Citizens Advice 'Getting Universal Credit if you're sick or disabled' webpage, as if you scroll down it covers medical evidence and what to think about including.

Also, I'm sorry to hear about your partners health conditions.  Is he getting enough support with his mental health do you think?  And, would he consider speaking to his GP about difficulties leaving the house/going out?  I know it's really tough to broach as agoraphobia can be so debilitating and sensitive to talk about, but maybe some gentle encouragement could help him to access support.  

Please keep us updated with how you get on and good luck.  

emlg1222

@janer1967 that's good to know I can request them. But unfortunately we don't have really any of those things at all. He has no current prescription as he stopped medication, he's had no other professionals confirm his mental health condition, just the gp then and there saying "you have depression and anxiety" and him going back to the gp multiple times about it. The gp also said (after receiving results of tests and scans from urology department) that his urinary incontinence was caused by his anxiety, not denying he had the issue but again no 'official' diagnosis but just what the gp told him. That's all we have ?

emlg1222

@Cher_Scope thank you, I've been looking at that website and found it helpful . He is not at all getting enough support for his mental health and never has done, this issue has been going on since he was a teenager in school (now 21) and the doctor has been aware of it and the only things he has done to help was give him anti depressants and anti anxiety meds, tell him to go to school counselling (which he did), practice mindfulness and visit the 'local' (30 mins away from where we live in another unfamiliar town) mind drop in centre which wasn't very good advice for someone suffering with extreme anxiety about going outside. He has been multiple times to the doctor over the years but unfortunately we live in a small village and there aren't any other doctors. He is doing mostly alright now that he is at home and not working. He does wake up with panic attacks and other symptoms but not nearly as bad as when he was working, multiple times he had panic attacks so bad they had to call 999 for an ambulance. Especially as now he is able to use the toilet when he needs (every 2 hours) and kind of manage the amount of accidents he has. He refuses to see or speak to the doctor for anything, so I'm stuck there. I'm going to have to ask for the fit note and copies of the medical records (which I don't have much of, see in reply to janer) for him and I'm just dreading it all. I'm so stuck because he's not able to work, but we can't afford for him to not get this money. Sorry ramble hahaha

Cher_Alumni

Hi @emlg1222

Thanks for getting back to me in such detail.  My heart goes out to you both, this can't have been easy.  I hope you're getting enough support too?

One thing your boyfriend might want to think about is accessing the local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service (IAPT).  He can self-refer to this, via the link provided, and many consultations are now taking place online due to covid so he wouldn't have to leave the house necessarily.  The service can offer:

• talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, other therapies, and guided self-help

• help for common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression

So it's definitely something to consider and I personally know lots of people it's helped

Also, there's the option of calling the NHS find an urgent mental health helpline where you can get support anytime of the day and an assessment on what treatment might be best.

You definitely didn't ramble!  If you need any more support please let us know as we'd love to help.  Take care and speak soon.