Pip Guide

Hi Gordon,

I've been reading the PIP Guide as I have a PIP form to write and send by Tuesday next week.

In the Questions in the GP Report Form it starts off with:-
Date when patient last seen by a Health Professional
Where and by whom

The last health professional I saw was a UC face to face medical assessment on 17/4/19
with a good outcome of going into the top group. But prior to this was a neurologist on
the 9/4/19. I have M.E but due to new symptoms of my hands suddenly dropping regulary and
briefly I had to see a neurologist. My son took me in a wheelchair and i was seen very quickly and
was better than i usually am and so when i had to lift my arms a little way up, i could do it and
when he pushed down a little with one arm i could resist and the other i couldn't. Also i could
lift my legs a tiny bit. Afterwards back home i really suffered, in pain and hardly able to move.
Then i got a copy of the report sent to my Doctor saying the neurologist finds only a 4/5
weakness in my left arm which may be due to my shoulder and apart from that no other
weaknesses. I cried! It makes it look like a consultant finds no weakness and therefore it
could come across like I have no problem, when most of the time i struggle to move. If the
neurologist had done the same test an hour later i wouldn't have been able to lift my arms
or legs at all and therefore a completely different result and report.

What concerns me is if PIP write to my Dr for a factual report and the last Health Professional
I saw was this neurologist with his very misleading report it's not good.

I last saw my Dr in December 2018. I was thinking if I saw him and gave him an update of
my condition would he then write himself down as the last Health Professional to see me?

Kind Regards
Karolyn

Hi Gordon,

Thankyou for your reply.

With UC although I had sent a Doctors letter from December 2018, in which my Dr listed my symptoms and said I'm not fit for work, they still wrote to my Dr asking for my last 2years
medical records and more evidence. But my Dr was so very slow to reply that after over 2months
of DWP waiting for his evidence, they gave up waiting and asked me to a face to face and gave me a decision 2 weeks later. My Dr never sent any information and in the end 2wks ago I rang
the surgery and said there is no point now.

So I was expecting the same with PIP but then from your answer it's not something the PIP
assessors do much.

How would I go about challenging the neurologists report?

I did ring the neurology department where the consultant works and spoke with a very
unsympathetic lady, who said the neurologist can only report what he found on the day
and I can't change that! She said I had a Nerve Conduction Study test appointment soon
and that we would soon see from that IF there is any problem. Thing is now I dont want
to go because in the past other kinds of tests have always come back negative, which is
good in a sense but not good in that it doesnt prove to other professionals or assessors
that I have very debilitating M.E.

Kind Regards
Karolyn

Hi Gordon

Ah! Thank you very much Gordon, that's very reassuring.

Thank you for your time and replies. It is very much appreciated

Kind Regards
Karolyn