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Question about ESA application and their access to medical records

ukheather
ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
I am applying for ESA to get national insurance credits as I can't get the money sadly.

I got a letter from the doctors saying that the job centre wants access to all my medical records and I have to approve it.
It also says I can see a copy of the report before the job centre sees it for 21 days before they send it off to the job centre.

Not sure why job centre and not dwp though.

Is full access to medical records always asked? This seems a bit extreme?

I could say I want to see a copy of the report but then that would add 21 days to the application as I see the report for 21 days and then they send it off to the job centre.

Anyone any experience of both these things?

Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome 

    Tbh I haven't heard of this before but that doesn't mean others haven't 

    I thought they just sent a form to be completed to gp and that it was usually the claimants responsibility to provide supporting evidence 

    Hope other members can offer their insight too 

    It may be worth giving them a call to ask why but you may not get any info from someone at the call centre 
  • ukheather
    ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
    edited January 2021
    yeah I thought this too. I know they do contact the gp and he fills a form in as evidence, I didn't think they could read all your records which is more than they need.

    But it clearly says all (which is underlined) medical records for 6 months so they can access them all for as much as they like for 6 months

    "access to all medical records which will be valid for 6 months and will cover any future requests in this period"

    This just seems incredibly excessive!

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    By the 6 month I read that as they want to see your records for the last 6 months and not all your records just the last 6 months 

    Not as you think they can look at all your records for a 6 month period 

    May be worth asking your gp what they mean 

    That would make a lot more sense to me 
  • ukheather
    ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
    edited January 2021
    No as in they want 6 months access to all my records that is what it says

    "access to all medical records which will be valid for 6 months and will cover any future requests in this period"

    I thought they just filled a report in! This is much too intrusive to see all medical records! No need at all for this much. I thought they had the ESA113 form to fill in from reading about, not actual access to all records.

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Ok sorry I got it wrong nice you have given wording I understand 

    As I said I've not heard of this but that doesn't mean anything 

    Maybe contact welfare rights 
  • ukheather
    ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
    Just wondered if anyone had experienced it on here as I know a lot of people have put an ESA application in, is all
  • ukheather
    ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
    edited January 2021
    UPDATE:
    I can update to this as I spoke to the doctors.
    It is actually just a form which will be the esa113 form.
    The letter they sent to me says they wanted all medical records with unlimited access for 6 months, but actually it is just a report lol.

    This can be marked as answered

    I can ask to see a copy first but that will mean that ESA won't see the form for 21 days so I might just not bother seeing a copy. Hmm tough one. Would be nice to see a copy but adding 21 days onto the application as they won't send it to ESA for 21 days just seems a lot
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    In that case I wouldn't be too concerned it's just thet standard form then to verify your medical info 
  • ukheather
    ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
    Yeah I had a look at it.
    Just not sure if I should ask to see a copy as the doctor is useless at remembering my conditions and I have many issues with him sometimes forgetting my cfs and just saying it is fatigue from the meds which it isn't and I have to remind him all the time even though it should be on the screen...

    If I ask to see a copy they give me 21 days to see it and then send it off to esa so that adds a lot of time to the claim. I would like to see it but don't really want so much time added so not sure what to do
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    It may not delay your claim as they have backlogs anyway but yes on the other hand it could 

    But the choice Is yours 
  • ukheather
    ukheather Community member Posts: 9 Connected
    yeah toughie!
    I do want to see them but don't want to delay the claim. Plus I guess would need more fit notes (even though I am unable to work....)

    I know the doctor often makes massive mistakes but he is the only gp that would prescribe me medication so best of a bad bunch.

    I would like to see it and wonder if I could address any issues if he misses something out if I see it first.
    Ugh tough one

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