Sick Note Culture Being Looked At.......

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-uk-politics-sunak-starmer-general-election-vote-labour-tories-sky-news-politics-hub-12593360

I bet the malingerers are hiding behind the sofa...

[New Judge]

"...this is desperation and as is so often the case with tory policies will not actually do a thing about "skivers" or whatever but will actually harm vulnerable people who have the temerity to be unwell"

Alas you are right, untitled.

The problem is, many of the workshy have cottoned on to the fact that it is far less hassle if you develop a long term illness that is easy to convince a gullible medic that you have. You are left alone, nobody troubles you to "seek work" and the world (of associated supplementary benefits) is your oyster.

Unfortunately, people who genuinely are ill will be caught up in any attempt to address this problem - and it is a huge problem. The number of people considered to be too ill to work - many of them having been classed as never being able to - has increased by over 40% in the last five years.

I often pondered, when reading over the years about the Post Office "Horizon" scandal, why nobody ever wondered why hundreds of sub-postmasters, previously of impeccable character, suddenly began relieving their tills of large sums of money. Of course we now know it was nothing to do with their change of character, but entirely down to the software they were given to work with. So I similarly ponder over this: why does nobody wonder why an epidemic of long term seemingly incurable illness - particularly mental illness - has suddenly visited huge swathes of the working age population? It is that question that needs to be addressed.

[naomi24]

NJ, I've been saying exactly that for a long time.   Why does no one ask 'Why?'.

[Ken4155]

I would imagine that Covid and it's aftermath has had some effect on the rise, NJ.

Of course, there will also be quite a number of 'malingerers' who will also blame the epidemic as the onset of their mental illnesses.

[douglas9401]

A starting point for reform might be targetting those who spend all day every day in the pub, breaking only to visit a nearby bookie to put a line on.

The addition of an NHS crutch which hardly ever makes contact with the ground is a nice touch.

It may only be jealousy but there it is.

[naomi24]

Bad backs are ... good.

[davebro3]

//To get signed off with a bad back you have to have had an MRI scan and a consultants report. //

Over 30 years I've had umpteen scans & consultant reports but the cause of my back pain still hasn't been identified or effectively treated.

[THECORBYLOON]

How long is the wait for an MRI scan and a consultant's report?

[davebro3]

I was recently referred for a scan & x-ray by my GP - it took about 3 weeks to get the tests & a couple of weeks to get the results. A consultant wasn't consulted.

[Ken4155]

I had an MRI scn on 30 Jan this year and i am yet to hear the result. Phoned the number on the letter a couple of weeks back and was told that a copy of the result had been forwarded to both a doctor in the chest clinic at Blackburn Royal and my GP.

Phoned my GP's surgery for the result and was told i could have a telephone chat with GP..............................on 3rd May!

Either that or try and make an appointment to actually see the GP. I'm guessing that if something was amiss in the scan, i would have been told by now, so i've opted for the 3rd May chat.

[Ken4155]

I should add that after my first MRI scan back in Dec 2022, i got the result within a couple of weeks by telephone from the person who had recommended the scan.

[barry1010]

I can see the result of all my tests on the PatientAccess website - and the doctor's comments.