(TRIBUNAL) How long did it take for your medical evidence to come back after posting? — Scope | Disability forum
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(TRIBUNAL) How long did it take for your medical evidence to come back after posting?

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noobautist
noobautist Community member Posts: 32 Connected
in PIP, DLA, and AA
Hello all,
for those who have not seen my previous post on disabled people I would like you to read it before you answer here, you can find it here: https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/400530#Comment_400530
However if you cannot be bothered let me break it down for you: Tribunal adjourns my case on two separate occasions, partial medical evidence sent (as requested) on both instances before they then decide they wanted the full medical history (which I then send on the 1st of march), I phone up three days ago to enquire what has happened as it is taking far too long for them to send it back to me in photocopy form and they tell and email me stating they cannot find the evidence and explain the process that it is outsourced to a company called Exela to be digitally uploaded onto their systems (I must state HMCTS had received and confirmed receipt of the evidence via post), I was advised it was either lost in mail or more likely still with Exela and possibly there is a backlog but also confirmed it should not take this long for them to do what they need to do.

So for the past 3 days I have been absolutely in a state of distress and complete fear that my confidential notes, history and other related private instances of my life have potentially fallen into the wrong hands, I really am not having a good time at all and my mind is racing as I type this and has been for the last few days.
So my question effectively is how long did it take and what was the longest wait you had during the tribunal stage after POSTING evidence in and awaiting the return. 

They have requested I re-send the evidence but I will not do so until this batch is found, they will use that and only that as I honestly will not be able to cope if it has genuinely been lost, the rational side of me tells me it is not the case and I am PROBABLY worrying over nothing but the sheer possibility is absolutely gut-wrenching.

Please reply whenever you feel fit, and like I said if you read the original post I provided you will have a better in-sight into this.

Many thanks.
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  • noobautist
    noobautist Community member Posts: 32 Connected
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    Username_removed said:
    This didn’t need a separate thread. It’s the same question you have posed in the other thread. 
    I feel like it did not gather the amount of answers I would have liked, plus it's now in the appropriate group-I wanted people's stories during the pandemic period, so it was needed.
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  • noobautist
    noobautist Community member Posts: 32 Connected
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    Username_removed said:
    As per my post there then...

    “There’s no maximum time or typical time here unfortunately. We’re in a pandemic and regardless of the governments road map and much optimism the reality is that the situation changes day by day. You’re effectively asking how long is a piece of string. Ringing them up won’t solve anything because you’re going through to a call centre with limited access to systems and they only know what they can see. If a numbered version of your documents isn’t there some will tell you it’s lost; some will tell you it’s not there and must be in transit; some will tell you they can’t have rec’d it yet. Generally there’s a lot of wanting to appear helpful and so much “saying something” rather than saying nothing. 

    You’ve previously been advised to raise a complaint. I would be reasonably confident that will produce your documents. If it doesn’t then there’s not much you can do other than re-send but, as also previously advised, send them in by email not post.”

    I’m wholly unclear as to why other peoples stories would help with any aspect of this. 
    And I've previously advised the complaint has been submitted to HMCTS as part of your advice.

    My request for other peoples' stories is for mental reassurance that this is perhaps just a normal process right now and will liken the chances (should other people relate) that the documents really weren't in fact lost, it is literally just to help me process it and stop worrying 24/7 as it's affecting me in a big way,

    that is why it would help.
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  • noobautist
    noobautist Community member Posts: 32 Connected
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    Username_removed said:
    Potentially losing documents is obviously not normal. The lack of replies speaks for itself really on that front though. People who have had a good experience with HMCTS are rarely on forums. People who have not will leap in to say how appalling every aspect of their experience. Neither will paint an especially accurate picture. You can safely conclude from the lack of responses here that this doesn’t happen much. No-one coming in now with their individual story is going to help much on that I’m afraid. More likely they will make your anxiety worse.

    I deal with HMCTS weekly. Generally the ongoing levels of incompetence are depressing but it’s **** up rather than conspiracy and the reality is that I’m struggling to think of a single occasion when this has happened. The only incidents I can recall (and indeed colleagues for that matter) are literally those where documents are claimed lost and then, under pressure, mysteriously appear. Had happened on many many occasions. Hundreds of documents too. My regional office unofficially once found  hundreds of SDP appeals in their toilets. That is a recurring but very intermittent pattern. More likely is sending appeal papers to the wrong location. 

    Not much else which can be said really. 
    Well I do in fact have an update.

    I received an email today stating that it was in fact due to a backlog and that the documents have been uploaded, so lost in the post is officially ruled out.

    Just one problem.
    Only some of the documents have been uploaded. I phoned to clarify which ones and the medical history specifically has been put onto the systems, but they can't see the second copy of the psychiatric assessment that I originally included in the letter.
    So what now? Do you think that is simply pending to be uploaded also?
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  • noobautist
    noobautist Community member Posts: 32 Connected
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    I should note, I had sent the psychiatric papers originally but as they requested a full history the second time around I sent the entirety of every medical related incident I've ever had, hence it being a second copy.
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