ESA Assessment Centre Shambles

[GamerNic]

I'm on ESA, I am currently having mental health issues, my doctor writes fit notes to say so and I am seeing the Community Psychiatric Nurse fortnightly. I sent my ESA50 away many months ago (stupidly forgot to make a copy to keep) and have been on ESA longer than the supposed 13 weeks assessment period.

 

First it was a total faff involving multiple phonecalls to them in order to get an appointment in a suitable place. But anyway, they have my ESA50, fit notes all sent, I have asked for it to be recorded in advance etc etc.

 

I turn up really early. Was fighting a panic attack for days, building up a lot during the day before the appointment. Then a full hour after my appointment time I get taken into a room (panic attack at defcon 1 by this point, given the ridiculously long wait!) only to be told because I mentioned Sciatica somewhere on the ESA50 they cannot do the medical! Some nonsense about needing a neuro something specialist.

 

I am totally confused at this point, I say my sciatica isn't really any issue at the moment, the whole reason I'm here is due to my mental health, the sciatica is pretty much gone - I don't even remember what I put, must have said something about the pain still flairs occasionally. My partner says "couldn't you have told us this an hour ago?" and she says she's only just looked at the form. That in itself is worrying, that nobody bothers to read the damned form until 2 minutes before the medical? That can't be procedure, surely.

 

But is it even likely to be true? I suspect she just wanted to go home early as my appointment was already an hour late. Funnily enough, someone who had been waiting even longer than me walked out 1 minute later, wonder what excuse they were given.

 

I am now very worried that next time I won't get a mental health specialist, which is what I really need. The woman didn't seem to give a monkeys about all the anxiety and stress this had all caused me. I had to sit in the car for another half hour until I felt able to drive home.

 

My partner is going to write a complaint, for all the good it will do. Is this all part of the mind games they play?

[tommy456]

that's total rubbish what you have been told,

 

 

one of my conditions was sciatica and no specialist did my assessments just the run of the mill nurses and physiotherapists under the guise of so called disability analysts

[lenny100]

i be very surprised if you did get a specialist nurse/doctor as a assesor, they dont employ that many if any, they are mostly people like physiotherapists and general nurses who have done a few days course to fill in the tick boxes on the pc

[osdset]

Every WCA I've had has been conducted at least one hour after the appointment time.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that the waiting room is covered by CCTV cameras, It's a convenient tool to monitor the behaviour of claimants while they get more and more aggravated at the wait.