Hi, on the 13th August I was referred to Ingeus by my JSA Advisor and told to expect a call off them. On the 15th August I had a severe epileptic seizure caused by stress and was given a sicknote for 12 weeks by my doctor. He thinks, due to me being severely depressed and prone to more seizures, that I should be on ESA. I closed my claim for JSA on the 17th and opened my claim for ESA on the same day. Later that day I had a letter from Ingeus telling me to attend on the 27th. There were no mentions of sanctions or anything like that, but it caused me to become very agitated. I called the number on the letter (their general enquiry number I think) and the man, without asking for any details, told me I still had to attend. Is this correct? My JSA claim is now closed and my ESA claim is being processed. I've never met nor spoken to Ingeus before, so do I still need to go? I'm very ill at the moment and this might make me worse I fear. Obviously in 13 weeks if they put me in WRAG, that's a different situation but right now I am very ill. Any info on this would be very very appreciated!

I think my landlord or someone else may have entered my property without my permission and this has made me feel very uncomfortable. Obviously at this present time it's just a suspicion. I think this because I have a coin meter for my electric, it doesn't seem to read the amount of coins entered well but it says not to exceed 80 coins. I have been in this property over 7 months and at a guess I have probably put in 150-200 coins and it doesn't sound anywhere near full, leading me to think someone might have let themselves in without my permission to empty it and I don't know how many times they have done this if it is the case. I have emailed my Landlord to ask what the procedure is with the meter and that it's never been emptied since I have been here (to my knowledge) It will be interesting to see his response. What also concerned me a little was on Monday I heard 2 people talking and they were knocking on the door of the flat that's right next to me and the lady wasn't in, they let themselves in, after that they knocked on my door and I said just a minute as I had just got out of the shower and they said oh sorry wrong door, I found this very odd too. If people acting on behalf of the Landlord or my Landlord have been in here without my prior consent and without giving the required 24 hours notice, I feel it would make it untenable for me to stay here as not only is it a breach of tenancy but I would feel it's a breach of trust and a lack of respect, nevermind not obeying the rules of the tenancy. Thanks for reading.

Hi, my ex-partner (my daughter's Daddy) has landed a job that entitles him to free private health care for him and his 'family'. He's asked me if I'd like us (me and my daughter) to be included in the package. I'm currently on Income Support until May - will it effect this at all? Thanks in advance.

Hi all, wondering if some-one can advise on this. Last year after a catalogue of errors and muddles with my pay and holidays etc, something happened and I had a melt down on the phone to some-one in HR (sheers frustration at being fobbed off and not listened to). It took me by surprise..didn't realize stress had been building up, so I finished conversation saying something like..I'm going to see my doctor and if I am ill you (my employer- public sector) have made me ill. T hat was on the 29th July 2014. I did go and see my doctor on the 1st August, (mainly to let them know the score) and continued to work as normal (part-time, evenings and weekends). I'd made it clear my job was not stressful it was all the management nonsense with my contracts, pay holidays etc that got me down and stressed , as I had to sort it all out in my free time in office hours.. Within a few days a letter arrived from the Occupational health service telling me to attend a meeting on Wednesday the 10th. The referral had been made on the 1st August. just two days after my meltdown on the phone with HR. So, Several questions. (the referral was for stress). a)are employers allowed to ambush some-one with OH like that out of the blue without even discussing the problem properly or formally even letting me know me I would be referred. b) I wasn't even on the sick and had never been on the sick. Did they have to right to refer me, especially without asking?( I idid get sent a consent form, with the appointment letter, but that had warnings about how if I didn't go it might affect decisions my dept made about me. I was stressed, not thinking properly, signed it and agreed to go to the appointment but made it clear it was under duress. c) The appointment was for a Wednesday 1.30, at a place about 8 miles away..in my free time plus I was expected to get there at my own expanse. As it happens I was afraid of driving in case I had a melt down again in the car (basically a high anxiety attack..sobbing not being able to breath etc.) . I asked for Time in lieu as I'd have to go on the bus,.., which would take ages. HR said no way but eventually relented and offered to pay for a taxi. Should they give me TIL as well as the taxi? The OH report basically said I was fine, just having a normal reaction to intolerable management issues. I continued to work for two months, while a review of the muddle with my holidays etc. was carried out. There is more but I'd like to see what people think about this lot first. Many thanks

Hi, I am in need of some advice about my Nuffield Gym Membership. I called the Club at the end of February when my 12 month contract ran out to cancel my membership but, I wanted to keep my partner as a Member. I was informed to give them a months notice in writing, I sent them an email on the 5th March, 5 days late. I believe I should be able to walk away from this Membership at anytime due, to being out of contract. I understand that I sent the email 5 days later than what they require but, surely this is irrelevant if I am out of contract? I then checked at the end of the month to see if they were going to take full payment or they were going to take half payment for my partner obviously they had scheduled to take full payment. I cancelled the DD and since then I have had nasty emails back and forth about payment, I have had letters from the Club manager demanding payment or it will be passed on to a debt agency. I informed the Club that my partner still wants to be a member but, they are not interested unless I pay the full amount that is owed. Any advice would be much appreciated.

From dangerous daffodils being banned on a village green, to pork crackling not on the menu at a restaurant because it might splash the chef – complaints from the public being fobbed off with ‘elf and safety excuses are at a record high. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the HSE panel has confirmed that health and safety regulations do not ban the activity and that ‘health and safety’ is being used as a smokescreen, usually to hide poor customer service. Here's some of the more stupid excuses: pork crackling not on the menu at a restaurant because it might splash the chef prams banned from a children’s centre for health and safety reasons dangerous daffodils removed from a village green custard pie fight at a local event cancelled because of health and safety chippy not allowing customers to put salt and vinegar on their fish and chips ban on playing with conkers and yoyos, using skipping ropes, and climbing trees selfie sticks banned in a nightclub sheep and cow droppings in a field stopping a scout group camping school production cancelled because lighting operator had not attended ladder training course loose flowers and pots not allowed on graves office ban on paperclips The Myth Busters Challenge Panel, to date, have considered over 350 cases and their responses published on the HSE website. http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/index.htm

The Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) has today published its updated guidelines on mental health and debt. The Good Practice Awareness Guidelines for Helping Consumers with Mental Health and Debt, now in a third edition, are designed to help creditors, councils, debt collection companies, enforcement agents and advisers. They help those people working with borrowers experiencing mental health conditions and debt, where their condition affects their ability to manage money. MALG Good Practice Awareness Guidelines for Helping Consumers with Mental Health Problems and Debt These voluntary Guidelines (Edition 1 November 2007, Edition 2 November 2009 and Edition 3 March 2015) indicate good practice in the treatment of individuals with debt and mental health problems and deal with best practice in the management of debt when a consumer is already in financial difficulty. Lending, Debt Collection and Mental Health 12 steps for treating potentially vulnerable customers fairly.

Latest WCA Handbook for Health Professionals, Version 7, 9th Feb 2015 This guidance is for healthcare professionals who undertake Work Capability Assessments on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. This document tells you how health professionals are supposed to assess you. It can be downloaded at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-capability-assessment-handbook-for-healthcare-professionals

My elderly mum 76 was very ill so I made an emergency GP appointment for my mother. I suspected she had pneumonia she was finding it difficult to breath, had immense aches and pains she was vomiting throughout the day. She was unable to stand up herself and was on the verge on collapsing. She had visibly got worse and worse as the day professed. Me and my brother struggled to get our mother into the car to get to the GP. My mother was in immense pain it was terrible. She was made to wait in the GP's waiting area for at least 20mins in great pain and her lungs were tightening up and restricted her breathing (no body from the GP's office took any notice of the state my mum was in). We were repeatedly told 'your will be next soon'...we struggled to get our mother to get up off her chair she had to be supported by me and my brother on each side getting her out of the house and into the car and from the GP car park inside the surgery. Eventually it was our turn and me and my brother held our elderly mother on each side and struggled to gather off the chair and to walk the distance along the corridor into the GP's room. Once inside the GP room.. .the GP just looked with a blank expression at my mum. ..my mother was struggling to breath and tell him she was struggling to breath and had a terrible burning sensation in her chest and terrible pain in her head as well as chest. Then GP checked my mums temp and heart rate and said my mums heart rate was a little high. The GP told my mum 'I'll give you antibiotics and go home and rest you should be ok.. .the antibiotics will take 24hrs to start working and if she gets worse you can call the ambulance' I turned around and said I think my mums got pnemonia and he said 'what makes you say that?'. ..I replied 'She's 76 she's been coughing for last 4 weeks but today she is on verge of collapsing finding it hard to breath..' then the DR used the stethoscope to check my mums lung and said 'She's got Pneumonia in the right lung' 'I suggest she goes home takes her antibiotics and rests'...I replied 'no I want her to go to hospital look at her state...' The GP gave us a letter and told us to go to the hospital with the letter to the 'Medical Assessment Unit 4'.. . I asked the GP can you please call the ambulance the GP turned around and said to me 'the ambulance I just like a taxi all they will do is take her to the hospital...you can take her in your car' I was left gobsmacked at his response...we struggled to get our mum out of the surgery not the car. At the hospital I went to main reception whilst the car was parked outside the main reception to the reception. There were 4 porters sat behind reception and I asked 'I need a wheel chair fort elderly mum, she's got pneumonia' The porter turned around (with 3 other porters sat around him) and told me 'go find the wheelchair yourself we have to do the same as you and look for a wheel chair. ..go find one somewhere in the hospital' I replied 'its your job to find a wheelchair, there's 4 of you sat in reception your porters' he looked at me and then instructed one if the porters to find a wheel chair. I needed the wheel chair to get my mum into the hospital from the car park. I turned around and saw my brother bringing in my mum into the reception, just as the porter was bro moving the wheel chair' We then went to the medical assessment 4 gave paperwork to a girl behind the counter who to is to wait in the ward on a chair instead of a bed. As 'no beds were available' we waited close to 2hrs my mum was in agony day on the chair. I went back to medical unit assessment reception told them my mums in agony with pneumonia she needs a bed asap. I was told again to wait. I saw a consultant walking towards me and told him 'my mums 76 she needs a bed asap'. He replied 'I'll go speak to someone for you' Eventually a health care worker came over snd said 'your GP sent you to the wrong ward. ..he should have sent you to ward 3 which is for elderly people'. I told my superior to send your mum to A&E and she over rode my decision, we are sending your mum to another ward and will find a bed for her' She got a wheelchair and took my mum to the other ward. ..where she was eventually a consultant came examined her too her blood pressure, heart rate and bloods and examined her chest. ..she said your mums got pneumonia I'll get her onto a bed asap. Eventually my mum was placed on the bed still in agony with her burning chest and difficulty in breathing, later she was placed on a drip for fluids as she look pale and very dehydrated. The next day I was told they had also given her antibiotics and the oxygen mask to loosen her lungs. I was told the bloods would be sent and looked at and a chest X-ray would be done the same night to determine what damaged if any happened to the lungs etc and the course of treatment. The next day I rang the hospital to enquire about my ma and was told 'she has a virul infection' when I got to the hospital the healthcare nurse dealing with my mum said 'it's not pneumonia but a viral infection.. .' I replied 'Our GP confirmed it as pneumonia' She replied 'it's a viral infection like people get it's common...' She said said we are waiting for her xrays which have been taken this morning (I was told the xrays would be taken last night!) She tells me 'your mums asking to go home, she's been walking independent...she'll be home today' I went to my mum and told her this is what the nurse is saying my mom said 'I never said I want to go home, why they sending me home I'm in agony. The nurse helped me get out of bed and helped me to the toilet' This healthcare worker kept denying my mum had pneumonia and it was just s viral infection. The way she came across was that she wanted my mom of of bed even though she was unconscious and in pain on the bed with pneumonia. They put the oxygen mask on her face again. Later in the evening I went back and the same healthcare nurse told me 'she's going home she had no pneumonia she's needs rest and to take her medicine at home. We asked for a wheel chair as my mom was not strong enough to walk ...the ward had become empty of healthcare workers who had disappeared too I asked a consultant who was passing through we need a wheelchair as my mum is being discharged. He rang the porters downstairs to ask for a wheel chair to be brought up. We waited 20 mins and nothing do I faked a nurse on the ward I need a wheelchair, she told me 'go to reception and find one yourself' I waited close to 30 mins and nothing do I faked another nurse who asked another nurse. My mom was sat on the bed still in agony. .. I went down to reception and the told the guy at reception 'I've been waiting for a wheelchair for over 40 mins'. He just looks at me and goes 'there's one behind you use that' I took the wheelchair to the ward gotynmum into it and took her home, The discharge letter confirms my mum has 'community related pneumonia' and the xrays showed some damaged or cackles in the lungs etc - complete opposite to what the healthcare assistant who was keen on my mum to leave kept sAying 'it's just a viral infection' My mum is 76 with pneumonia she's been sent home with medicines and antibiotics. She's ill and should never have been sent home until the pneumonia was cleared. What can I do to get justice with the horrendous way my mum has been treated and what action against the GP can I take and against the hospital? My mums health is important and I want justice even if it means taking the legal route and going to solicitors who deal in medical cases like these? Now everyone on the household is ill and coughing - my elderly father is coughing very badly and wheezing sometimes. The hospital and GP are to blame, why was my mum discharged if she at 76 still has pneumonia?

I have worked for my current company over 10 years and have been a successful manager for over 8. 10 months ago my unit ceased trading due to rental contract renewal issues. I transferred to another unit as manager to run that for it's final 3 months (same rental contract renewal issue) and then moved to another unit in a different town. I unfortunately suffered a stress related mental breakdown and was signed off work with depression after attempting suicide. When I was well enough to return to work I felt I was still not strong enough mentally to return to work as a manager so requested that I might take a voluntary demotion to deputy manager at a different unit for the sake of my health. This was agreed verbally and in my letter to personnel I explicitly stated that I was requesting a demotion from manager to deputy manager. Fast forward 2 months and I have just been informed that there is no room for a 2nd deputy manager at the unit I am at, and that my position is actually a shift manager. 6 months previously at this unit there were 2 deputy managers and I was introduced to all the staff & management team as the new deputy manager but I have yet to receive a new contract. There is no difference in basic pay, but there is a large difference in potential bonus. If I decide to move on from this company, my CV will look awful having the drop from manager to shift manager, the drop to deputy manager will look bad enough. So my question is, is the verbal agreement worth the paper it was written on? can they refuse to honour it and not give me the position of deputy manager?

Hi, Back in 1996 I was mis sold 4x insurance policies by Lloyds bank. London & Edinburgh - Commercial Overdraft Repayment insurance LTSB General Insurance - Health Cover 5 Star Ambassador Insurance Co - Private Medical Insurance Royal Sun Alliance - Hospital Income Plan Consolidated M&G - Accident Protection Plan All policies were sold by Lloyds. If anyone has any additional information on these policies it would be appreciated. At the time I run a small business with two employees with my father as a partner. After ten years of trading and being with Lloyds I simply applied for a bank overdraft facility extension (£5k-£10k, but ended up being made to sign up for 4x policies - these were made a condition of the overdraft being granted, with pressure selling present by two Lloyds bank manager who came to our office 'for a chat'. I protested - and asked if there was anyway the overdraft could be put in place without the Policies, but the answer was a emphatic 'no'. All policies started and were cancelled within 3 months of each other. After the policies having ran for 5 years, and when the managers had moved on - I asked a back off staff member if I could cancel - to which the reply was 'of course', a further discussion revealed that the policies were never actually 'required' for an overdraft. A few months later I moved my account to another bank, who put in place a £10k overdraft, and never once asked for one insurance policy ! Both my father and I remember having a bad taste in both our mouths after they left ! But we trusted Lloyds bank, and buried our cynicism. Only when the PPI saga emerged did I realise we had been mis sold, and we had in fact been milked by our bank for as much as they could get, not a very good way to build trust as a customer ! I am now in the process of dealing with Lloyds bank, but it is proving difficult as I have no bank statements or original contracts, I do how ever have my Sage Accounts nominal records and original Inland Revenue Tax Returns (along with my Year End Accounts) - which verify the ledger year end figures on the nominals. The nominals show all the payments made, and the IR Returns verify theese amounts paid. I also have a prinout from Royal Sun Alliance confirming 3 of the 5 years 'Hospital Income Plan'. On another forum a few posters feel my 'complaint' of mis selling is invalid. My father and I both remember the long winded and rambling meeting, and us looking at each other when they had gone sensing something wasn't right, clutching a bunch of papers that insured everything including my right toe nail. We felt we'd been mugged off to be honest. The policies were wholly unnecessary and not what we asked for, we simply wanted an extension to our overdraft.

Hi all. I am really hoping I can get some help and advice here. I really don't know where to turn and CAB havnt been that much help. I received a fine back in April for nonpayment of TV License. I was utterly stupid to stop paying it but I can't go back in time now. I was paying off £20 a fortnight but ended up not paying one time due to financial problems and thinking I would pay double the next fortnight. The time came and I couldn't. I received a letter from Swift saying if I didn't pay or make an arrangement, they would send people out. I made the arrangements with them to pay £20 a fortnight again but due to my mental health problems, I defaulted, again stupid. Last Friday, I had a letter pushed through my door at 6:40am saying if I don't pay £412 they would be back with a locksmith. I went to the CAB and they said the only thing I could do was to get a health letter from my doctor but they want to charge £25 for it and I simply do not have that kind of money. I can't even afford to buy a cheap pair of trainers to replace the ones I have now that the sole is practically hanging off of. My heads all over the place, I am scared every time the phone rings or there's a knock on my door. I have been diagnosed with Severe Clinical Depression amd Severe Anxiety even though its bordering more on Bipolar. I have 2 young daughter aged 5 and 2 and I am married. Most of the stuff I have here doesn't belong to me I.e on HP as we couldn't afford to buy our cooker and washing machine outright when our old ones eventually broke. My husband is claiming JSA for us as I got refused ESA even though I have mental health issues, a gap in my spine and other back problems. What do I do? I know not to let them in but I can't physically cope with them knocking on the door and any threatening behavior that I know will happen. I know it will make my suicidal thoughts even worse. Sorry for the long post, just wanted to get everything in. Also, if there are any spelling mistakes, blame my silly phone

I have been using this site for a while for information and advice given to others and have found it very valuable, so first of all well done to all involved helping consumers. thought i would post my issue as seems i need some specific advice on what to do at the moment... I moved down to London last year and signed up for a gym membership on a corporate rate through my work. I didn't actually involve my work, but when i went down to discuss the membership i mentioned i worked for the company i did and negotiated a deal with them. when negotiating i specifically asked (because my work contract was only 10 months and wasn't sure how long i may stay in london) if i move house or leave my current employment am i able to cancel early, i was told most definitely that wouldn't be a problem. and that was it.... the contract i was on in their T&Cs meant my monthly fee dropped from £100 to £75 a month. low and behold in the summer i decided to leave as my employment had finished and although i would be staying in london, i had found a closer gym to me, but i had left my job and was freelancing or as far as the gym were concerned 'unemployed' i called up to cancel and was told that, if i was to cancel early, i would have to give 3 months notice, but also my membership would have to be upgraded back to a full membership and pay the back dated £25 for the months i had had it discounted, as well as 3 further months at £100, as you can imagine i kicked off with them big time. The gym advisor had not detailed any of these charges when i confronted him about the process of cancelling early, and i said this basically amounts to mis-selling a contract or product which of course is illegal(it?). I played hardball and told them i had sought legal advice from my solicitor (which i hadn't) and that was told to demand them to release me from my contract i told them the advisor that had mis-sold me the contract had intentionally done this to get my to sign up. i was told as a 'gesture of goodwill (ha!)' they would 'waive' the back dated payments and i could cancel for the remaining £100 each month. i told them this was not acceptable, i said i wanted to be released from the contract and that i would serve a months notice as a fair compromise. i didn't hear anything back. so as a compromise i decided to just pay the remaining 3 months and then cancelled my standing order with them. shortly after the standing order had ceased, i received letters telling them that i had missed payments and still had a contract with them, they basically ignored my letters and continued to try and take the payments as normal. i sent them another email saying that back in march we had had the discussion to cancel, you had told me it was 3 months. i paid april may and june's payments and now i consider myself no longer a member. please cancel down my membership. i didn't receive a reply. i called and the account managers' argument was that i hadn't paid the full membership 3 months notice, i had only paid the £75 a month. so therefore i still owe £75. On the phone she had confirmed that £75 would cancel down the account... i wish i had got this in writing!! hindsight... FYI the advisor that sold me the contract has ceased working with them. either he left or more likely he was let go for using this technique (probably more than once?) i received standard letters with requests to pay from the gym and then finally good old CRS got in touch. i haven't made contact since. from looking at forum threads, i made the decision to ignore them. the balance now apparently stands at £434.20?!? i receive a weekly or fortnightly letter from them with new ways of saying i should pay, and i could be in big big trouble if i don't pay. i receive regular text messages telling me to contact them .i have not made contact the latest letter says... 'We regret that despite out attempts to reach an amicable resolution on your account (haven't made contact yet??) you remain in arrears to ROKO We must therefore give notice that failing to reply to this letter within the next 10 days will result in your account balance being passed to Zinc Group, one of the UK's leading providers of debt recovery solutions WE WOULD STILL LIKE TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER (oh yes I'm sure you would lol...) We're still happy to listen to your reasons for not paying (are you really?) and will do whatever we can to reach an acceptable resolution for both parties (lol)/ all that is required for you to call us on NUMBER so we can discuss the matter further (thanks for making it so easy for me..)" anyway, aside from the sarcasm, it seems they are either giving up on the dept and selling it on? or moving it to Zinc Group to pursue having looked at the forum it seems Zinc are the same type of jokers as CRS so what do you think I should do? quite happy ignoring the letters and messages but wondering if that is the best resolution To be honest i would probably pay the £75 just to get them to go away . but then i think, no why should i? they have taken the mickey and mis-sold me the contract. i acted very reasonably considering what i was led in too so is there a more legal and legitimate way to approach this or should i just ignore them. excuse the essay, but its a complicated one... any help is GREATLY appreciated in advance! thanks

I today went to see the mental health team regarding my stress and anxiety. The guy i spoke to said i probably have health and social anxiety and could probably do CBT therapy to help. Will i get a letter from them showing my diagnosis??? Because i will need this for my ESA appeal.

My parents are long standing members of bannatyne gym. To date they had used swipe cards to access the gym. Now they must use a pin. The gym requested that they provide an email address to send the pins to. My parents requested that the pins be sent via post or alternatively collected in person with ID. The gym refused their request and said it had to be an email address - if they didn't want to provide theirs then a family members would do. They have since spoken to another member who was permitted to collect theirs in person do it can be done!!. They went back again. Again they were refused. They've been told that unless they provide an email address to send the pin to then when the gym pin switch program completes even though they have several month membership left they will not be allowed in until an email address is provided to send the pins to.

Hello, For the past 6ish years I've been experiencing what you could call mental health issues (depression/anxiety like symptoms) due to various past and present reasons and have never felt the need or brought my self to seek help. I have finally decided to and I am slightly concerned on what the implications could be, (part of the reason I have never sought help). Basically I know that it is in my best interest to inform my employer once I have seen someone, but do I have to? They have quite an 'old school' approach to everything so I worry that they could just see me as a liability. I haven't had any time off and will not in the future due to this, i'll still be fully capable to fulfil my capacity at work. Is there anything to stop them from doing this? Bearing in mind that I will not be signed off probation for another 2 months. Also I never disclosed any of this during my interview as in my honest opinion I didn't think I had any problems.

I have been living on incapacity benefit and disability living allowance for a number of years due to severe mental health issues I am currently being hit with around £80 worth of charges from Santander at least every 2 months, sometimes I am being charged £25 for going overdrawn by 99p It has been going on for a few years and due to my mental health problems have just been letting it happen as I didn't know anything could be done about it I recently found a forum on Money Saving Expert and was amazed to find I could reclaim this money, so have requested the last 6 years of charges list Fingers crossed, if i research enough and know what I'm talking about I might be successful! I was hoping someone might have experience of financial hardship claims with mental health issues as grounds for a refund This month its £75, being on benefits that's a large chunk of my money I feel like I've really been taken advantage of as a 'vulnerable' adult (I hate calling myself that, but quite obviously I am) If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it Thank you in advance!

Hi Just wondering if anybody has experience with Social services for personal health care budget for MH conditions? I'm wondering how sucessful applications are for educational courses. I can't afford to pay for any more courses and it is helping me access my community. Any info would be a great help, thanks.

I have encountered issues with my employer for the last 2 years, initially after maternity leave. sly remarks regarding absence etc, since returning have had sickness episodes which I have been hospitalised for mainly same issue that I was due an operation for. Several months ago I had an accident in the workplace and had to take time off due to an injury obtained, I was formally reprimanded for this as I hit a trigger, it was escalated to a disciplinary but this was stopped as I involved HR who advised it does not escalate as an injury at work. Since then I have felt intimidated and bullied by my managers to the point of wanting to leave my job, I enjoy what I do and have been in post 16 years. Last week I was planed to have an operation regarding my reoccurring illness, I was initially told NO to leave for the op by line manager, I again took it to H.R who agreed the day before the op I could have time off but had to sign to state if my sickness was longer than a set period I would be disciplined, bearing in mind I cant foresee my recovery. Line manger disagreed and through her contacts my operation was cancelled last minute due to a senior nurse's input. I have been told formally its bed shortages but also informally by consultant it was done by the management. I cant go on like this and there are many other instances of victimisation and bullying. I have made complaints which have not been actioned so am going to submit a formal grievance. My accident at work was there fault they have made trust wide alterations reflecting the cause of my injury, but have never been apologised to and have minor permanent damage due to it, they have shown no compassion. I am employed obviously by the nhs as any other employer would not be able to cancel my op, sadly its the same trust operating that Im employed in. Advice is needed urgently as this needs to be addressed, also they have no notes of any formal meetings and in my last meeting regarding a sickness for the reason I was due to have operation I was told in so many words " you have not long had a baby maybe you should reconsider your employment" Any advice would be appreciated, many thanks

Health Tip

Hi Folks. I am having real problems with my health trust. I was seeing a social worker in the CMHT and having support from them for many years.Because in 2003 my father died and my family that is my mother and sisters abandoned me. No the CHMT have discharged me without warning a few weeks ago and have not given me a real reason as to why. Except to say that they are now called the CRT, Community recovery team and they don't keep people on long term. I won't go into too much detail here except to say this has been an awful 2 weeks. As because the CMHT have discharged me without any support at all, I am now without a psychiatrist or a social worker and have no friends or family where I live I can go to for support. So I went to the GP surgery but the receptionist would not give me an appointment to see the GP. Who I did not know very well as I had only been to the GP twice in the 4 years I have been living at my new address. As I was going to the CMHT for everything. So went to PALS and they helped me find a new GP and I have only registered at the new GP 3 days ago. The CMHT social worker told me she has referred me to a social worker in a private charity but it's been 2 weeks now and I have heard nothing from them. So I phoned the private charity myself yesterday afternoon and spoke to the receptionist at the help desk who now tells me they did not get the referral from my CMHT. I told the receptionist my situation and because I was in a state she told me to phone NHS direct crisis team. So i phoned the crisis team and told them my situation that the CMHT have discharged me without support but the woman on the crisis line was not very sympathetic and said there is nothing she can do about it. I am not happy with my health trust at all and I am thinking of moving out to another area away from my health trust. But I am on benefits so this is not gong to be easy. But I have no family and the CMHT know this yet they have discharged me without support. So do I need to see a mental health lawyer and where do I go from here? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi, I'm looking for some advice on IHR. I've worked for my employer for 6 and a half years. In November I was involved in a motorbike accident that wasn't my fault. At the time of the accident I discolated my shoulder,snapped 3 of my rotator cuffs from the bone,moved my bicep and bicep tendon and was told later by the surgeon that I also damaged a bunch of tendons in my shoulder. Ive been off work since the accident,as I lost the use of my shoulder and could only lift my arm about 2 inches from hanging down at my side. Over the months I've been going through physio an MRI then finally surgery. After the operation the surgeon told me,with the amount of damage done to my shoulder I should never have been left so long to get operated on. And because of this my rotator cuffs had shriveled up so much he couldn't reconect them the normal way,he had to try a fairly new procedure and attach the rotator cuffs to the bone with cadaver skin. To cut a long storey short,the operation was 7 weeks ago,had my arm imobilised,now started physio again,still can't use or move my arm.Been told I might not get it back. I asked the surgeon if he thought I'd be able to go back to my job again at some point,to which he said he thinks I'll struggle,and didn't seem to have much hope at all. My work offered me IHR, a years wage, which I said no to.Then at the next meeting I had with my boss,he was going through the options for me and mentioned the IHR again,but this time it was three quarters of a year wages, and OH was going to phone me to assess my condition. I don't know what to do with this,When I asked the surgeon for his opinion about going back to work,it wasn't a yes I will be able to but there again it wasn't a no. When HO called, I answered all there questions without lying about anything but at the same time, I didn't volinteer any information about the details of my injury or operation,as far as they're concerned,accident,operation,heal back to work. So they advised my work that I'm not in the postion for IHR and I'll be back at some point. My question are, with me trying to hang on to my job and not declaring everything, if in 6 weeks or whatever down the line it turns out I'm not getting my arm back and I can't work will I be offered a IHR payment again? will the amount be the same? My employer gives it's employees 6 months full pay then 6 months half pay when on the sick, I'm at the end of the full pay, If I get to a point where I've only got a month or so left of half pay will any offers made by them be less, cause they've only got a month or so left to pay me before they've no more wages obligation? Should I tell the work/HO everything about my injury and risk lossing my job just now,even when the surgeon didn't give me a definate answer. I had more questions but I've wrote so much I can't remember what they where other than, If my arm gets better but not great and my employer offers me some other position in the company,will it be in the same office I'm in, or can they offer me a position anywhere and if doesn't suit for whatever reason just fire me. Any advice on this or anything I might have missed reguarding IHR would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Fangy.

My 28 year old daughter suffers from severe depression She is under the doctor and mental health team and is making some progress. She has a agreement with Regal Credit to clear a NAT WEST overdraft from when she was at Uni but actually thought she was repaying another debt she has to BMI Healthcare. However she received a couple of letters from a company called Credit Style in February and as she is not really up to dealing with this I called them about it and they asked that she send a letter giving me permission to deal with this which we did. We went on holiday straight after and came back to a CCJ CLAIM FORM with £500+ interest added on. I acknowledged the form and am now about to defend it. Daughter has signed a letter giving me permission to deal with it which I will send with the form. Now question is best way to defend it. I believe that banks etc are supposed to keep debts to Mental Health patients in house so she ideally would like the debt returned to them so she can negotiate directly with them.

I have worked for 30years in the same position. I became sick 10yrs ago for few months and returned back to work. 7years ago my company was bought over by a contracting firm. I still remain in the same site I have been 30yrs ago. Five months ago I was issued a suspension letter due to health reasons for one month. I was recalled back after one month to defend why I should not be terminated and my GP responded with sick note that I am receiving treatment. The threat of suspension and losing my job had followed me through. I have now suffered stroke and may not be able to work again. My employer is now aware of my health problem and on my case to be interviewed.- I need all help----- what my entitlement are and what to do.

I will start this off by explaining that I have bipolar disorder, anxiety and OCD, all of which I receive medication and treatment for. I also have a history of self-harm. I started working for a supermarket a year and a half ago, and in my application i stated that I believed to suffer from a disability, my condition being mental health issues. I was also upfront about this in my face-to-face interview. I started off working in the clothing department of the store and my manager was great with me, understanding of my condition and knew i saw a psychiatrist and attended group therapy. I have my ups and downs in work, but last December I was overwhelmed with stress and anxiety and cut my arm during my lunch break. One of my colleagues bumped into me after I done it and noticed the blood from my arm and I was sent to the hospital to get stitches. The 'People Manager' of the store recommended I take a few days off after the incident. In March, me and two others were moved to other departments due to cut backs and poor sales. I was moved to the bakery department and have struggled mentally since then. The job itself isn't hard at all, it's the amount of work that stresses me. There are 5 in on the dayshift, but only me on the back shift. There used to be two on the back shift, but they cut it down to save money, so I am doing work for two people. I always feel harassed into doing over time and during the summer I was on my own (as usual) on a busy Saturday and really struggled. One of the managers saw me and was concerned about me and I confided in her that I was really stressed and because I self-harm, it was doubly worse working unsupervised in an environment with knives etc. The manager sent me home and I was asked to see an occupational therapist a week later. The occupational therapist told me that it was unacceptable that I had brandished a knife and threatened to cut myself. I told him that that never happened. He said it didn't matter and if my behaviour wouldn't change I would be out on my arse without a leg to stand on, and would struggle getting a job in this climate and without a good reference. When I spoke the 'People Manager' (head of personnel) about this, she said the occupational therapist shouldn't have used that language, but that the points he made were true. She said she has a duty to ensure I am fit for purpose and can do the job they pay me to do. She said she has to protect staff and customers from the aftermath of my self-harming as no-one should have to see that. She told me she would be monitoring me very closely for the upcoming months. This happened at the end of August and ever since then it had bugged me. I have always been upfront about my illness and unfortunately one co-worker and my old manager saw my arm after I had self-harmed last December. I feel terrible that they saw that, but my fellow workers don't even know about my self-harming, and I wear long sleeved blouses that cover up my scars. I am very hard-working and polite, but I have told my manager repeatedly that I struggle on my own and I never get any help. When I wanted to move to a different department my manager wouldn't let me as she says I'm one of her best workers. I am also annoyed at how they added me "brandishing a knife and threatening to cut myself" on that busy Saturday during the summer. Am I being discriminated against or are they right and I just can't see it?