Author Archives: Maureen

GPs charge disabled up to £130 to appeal fitness-to-work decisions

August 27, 2013   Carers, ukcuts

GPs charge disabled up to £130 to appeal fitness-to-work decisions

Emily Dugan Author Biography

Monday 26 August 2013

Doctors are charging sick and disabled people up to £130 for medical evidence to appeal decisions about their fitness to work, The Independent has learnt.

NHS GPs are telling patients they will only provide the necessary details to challenge controversial Work Capability Assessments if they pay. Others are refusing to help at all.

Citizens Advice say in many areas GPs are helping with an appeal only if patients pay a fee of between £25 and £130. There are also reports from 15 of its centres that family surgeries are refusing to provide evidence at all.

GPs who refuse to help – or charge increasingly high fees – argue that writing up medical evidence takes up time when they could be helping patients.

But Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Charging sick and disabled people more than £100 for medical evidence beggars belief. This process is clearly failing.”

Read More

East Coast Truckers’ Children’s Convoy

August 25, 2013   Carers, charities, disability

East Coast Truckers’ Children’s Convoy

The 28th annual East Coast Trucker Convoy heading along the A12 at Great Yarmouth towards Pleasurewood Hills. Picture: James Bass The 28th annual East Coast Trucker Convoy heading along the A12 at Great Yarmouth towards Pleasurewood Hills. Picture: James Bass

Sunday, August 25, 2013
2:00 PM

It was a stirring tribute from the great East Anglian public that made it an extra special day for the youngsters at the heart of East Coast Truckers’ children’s convoy.

From County Hall in Norwich to Lowestoft, spectators lined the roads, hung over bridges and got out of their cars to cheer and wave as the 82 gleaming trucks rumbled past amid a cacophony of klaxons.

The smiles on the children’s faces – one to each truck – showed what it meant to them to be the centre of attention for one day.

Read More

Frail elderly ‘face carers shortage’

August 24, 2013   Carers, Older care, ukcuts
24 August 2013 Last updated at 00:02

The researchers used population projections and survey data in their report

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

Hands of an elderly person

There will be a shortfall in the number of people able to provide vital unpaid care to frail elderly people in the coming years, a report says.The London School of Economics analysis suggested the gap will start becoming evident by 2017 in England.

By 2032, 160,000 elderly people will be left without the support they need – about one in seven of those who will need help, the experts predicted.

This is because the oldest age groups will grow at the fastest rate.

Researchers used population projections and survey data to compile the figures.

Currently an estimated 675,000 older people rely on unpaid carers – mainly their children – as they fall outside the state support system, which is available to the poorest.

Read More