Is GP powerless

[Clare63]

Can anyone help ???? I am confussed, angry and emotionally drained.

 

Background ~ DS dx'd AS currently signed off sick by GP with stress and anxiety.

~ Going through the assessment process for hopefully a statement

~ work being sent home from school

~ DS seen monthly by Consultant Psychologist at CAMHS

 

Yesterday ~ attended meeting at school arranged by SENCO the purpose of which to discuss getting DS back to school

 

My question/issue ~ was told the GP's certificate is worthless and that DS is under CAMHS they should certify him "unfit for school" as the psychologist was at the meeting, he was challanged and he remarked that he had not commented that DS wa either Unfit or Fit for school (the school had told me he said he felt DS was fit for school !!! ???) he was very good and told them in full and thorough detail how DS's anxiety and stress is under pinned by his AS and the difficulties he expereinces trying to fit into the secondary maninstream environment, he also explained the risks that unsupported DS will become very depressed and is prone to self harm and to have sucidal thoughts. My question is can they just rule out the GP's opinion? and is it not worth the paper its wriiten ???

 

Thanks would appreciate any views, opinions, expereince, facts etc.,

 

Clare x x x

[Bagpuss]

Clare, I'm sorry, I don't know, but thinking of you <'>

[Cat]

My son only ever had a sick note from our GP even after he was diagnosied by a top professor and her team.

 

I think that school were trying to be cleaver here and were hoping that the psychologist was going to support them and out rank the GP. As it happens the psychologist did not allow this to happen but I would still be inclined to have a word with your GP. Everyone I have ever knon who has their child signed off sick have the note signed by their GP.

 

Cat

[Karen A]

Hi.I think the school are attempting to put unfair pressure on you to get you to agree to whatever they would like to do.

If it is just the school and nobody from the LEA was present then I would be very surprised if the school have the authority to challenge a GP sick letter.

It would be a good idea to give either ACE or IPSEA a ring to ask them to confirm this for you and to get some advice on an appropriate response.

You could also contact EWO and explain your situation to her/him.I think that if the school have a problem with a child's none attendance at school then the next step would be a referal to EWO.So it may be worth contacting EWO yourself first. I did not find the EWO much help but others here have had support in similar situations to yours.

It would also be a good idea to ask for a copy of the school and LEA policy regarding sickness and authorised/unauthorised leave so that you can ensure that it is being followed.If the policy states that a GP letter is required after a certain number of days off school due to illness then I cannot see how the school can dispute what you have provided.

I don't know how long DS has been off school.There are guidelines that state that after a certain number of days off due to authorised sickness...including mental health problems the LEA should make arrangements for alternative educational provision.So you may be able to ask for provision to be made via some home tuition.Karen.

[Karen A]

When I think about it even individuals who sign off sick from work do not need a consultant or specialist to authorise it.A GP sick note will do.

[Guest Lya of the Nox]

i know that our local hospital school forms it says that a gp say so is not enough for a child to attend if that makes sense

x

[annie]

Hi Clare,

 

Alex was never able to cope with school so, for a while I used to write sick notes stating stress/anxiety when things got too much for him. When it was clear that he was struggling, our GP wrote a letter to us/school/LEA stating .........

 

This young man who is diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome is currently unable to attend school because he is extremely anxious and agitated. I believe this centres around a number of recent issues and incidents which have happened at school. I understand that these will be formally discussed in a meeting at a review of his Statement of Needs and I agree with his parents that he should remain at home until these problems are resolved.

 

This was accepted by the school/LEA and he didn't go back into education until an agreed package was made to meet his needs (not at the school concerned )

 

Annie

xx

[Clare63]

Thanks Guys, really interesting I will certaily look further, Cat & Karen yes I think the school were tring to put pressure on me, especially as when DS got up set they got his Father to take him out so I lost all the support I had, thankfully the psychologist came through for us. I guess I started off on the wrong foot to start with, as I had rung earlier in week to check what meeting would be about and who would be present (as I knew I had to have DS fully prepared, he had been going on about the meeting for weeks and my request via email for an agenda was not forth coming !!!??) when there were 3 more people there than she said and no one bothered to introduce themself, both DS, DH and I all became a bit defensive and agitated. We eventually found out they were a TA, someone from COOS (children out of school) the EWO and a woman something to do with teacher support who speacialises in ASD's . Think I 'll go make an appointment to see our GP.

 

Clare x x x

 

PS sorry Lya I am afraid I don't get what you mean, do you mean that in your area a GP sick note does not stand up ???

[Flora]

Hi Clare <'>

 

When Bill was signed off it was by the Child Psychiatrist at CAMHS. She rang them and then wrote to them. However, before that when he was still at primary school he was signed off by the GP for two months.

 

Did the psychologist give an opinion one way or the other? Is he willing to write a letter signing your son off school? Either way I can't understand why they would say a GP note would be not worth the paper it's written on, even if the consultant had disagreed with it!!!

 

I would ask your consultant that if he backs up your GP's decision, to write a letter stating so. What was the outcome of the meeting?

 

So sorry to hear of the problems you are having so early on in the assessment process. I hope you manage to get them sorted out. It is such a stressful process even without people putting a spanner in the works.

 

I don't want to go on and on, but as Bill's been signed off since March our situations aren't dissimilar, please feel free to pm me and I can go into more detail if you think it will help.

 

Flora XX

[JenRose]

hi clare

 

mike was signed off sick with anxiety/stress for 2 years.

The first note was from the GP and 2 months after that his consultant psychiatrist wrote a letter recommending home tuition.

 

EWO tried to challenge the GP,s note as it did not state how long mike would be off for, a quick call to IPSEA who said RUBBISH, it doesnt have to state how

long he,s going to be off for as nobody knows and i soon put them right.

 

if you have a letter from the GP and the psych isnt challenging it then the letter stands, but its a good idea to get the psych to endorse it as they seem to carry more clout than a GP for some reason.

[pumpkinpie]

I would speak t o ipsea and ace , but my instinct is the school are way out of order here. Personally I would write to them expressing your concern and asking for an explanation of why they are quering a gp sick note quoting ipseas advice. I would also express dismay that you werent given minute/agenda and people attended who didnt identify themselves and the distress thsi caused you all.

Unless we chaleenge schools and advice them of their responsibilities under the disability equality act they will continue to behave in this unacceptble way.

[lynne]

Your GP is reponsible for your medical care. He refers you onto specialist and works with there advice. Hence, when you took your child to the GP he would not only give you the sick note by what is happening on the day but also by his medical history.

 

It is totally unacceptable for your school to state the sick note should of come from your consultant as you are not able to ring up the consultant and make an appointment for that day or the next. Even emergency referrals for our children can take 3 or 4 weeks before they are seen.

 

So there statement that the sick note should of come from the specalist is not acceptable. Yes your consultant can give you a sicknote but this would be at an emergency referral or during your out patient appointment.

 

 

Lyn

 

I

Edited January 12, 2008 by lynne

[Clare63]

Your GP is reponsible for your medical care. He refers you onto specialist and works with there advice. Hence, when you took your child to the GP he would not only give you the sick note by what is happening on the day but also by his medical history.

 

It is totally unacceptable for your school to state the sick note should of come from your consultant as you are not able to ring up the consultant and make an appointment for that day or the next. Even emergency referrals for our children can take 3 or 4 weeks before they are seen.

 

So there statement that the sick note should of come from the specalist is not acceptable. Yes your consultant can give you a sicknote but this would be at an emergency referral or during your out patient appointment.

Lyn

 

I

 

Lynne,

That's so true could not get to see the specialist for a month after seeing GP, even with me crying down the phone pleding for help.

 

Thanks everyone for your answers its helping put everything in to perspective and making me realise I should not put up with all this poo !

 

Clare x x x

[justamum]

I would also question the school regarding it's 'medical qualifications' and why they believe those qualifications are superior to your GP's, and ask to see their qualifications ...then watch them back track!

 

Oh and remind them it is an offence to impersonate a doctor Teachers are not allowed to make clinical diagnoses and saying your GP doesn't know what he is talking about by dismissing the sick note as worthless is in my opinion doing just that!

[Pippin]

It's also wrong of the school to consider a GP as inferior to a Hospital specialist. They are both equally qualified...just in different fields. A GPs opinion is just as valid as a hospital doctor's. You could turn it on them by quoting the people who think primary school teachers are inferior to secondary school teachers, and just waiting for promotion. The sicknote is a legal document and they have no choice but to accept it.

[Clare63]

Thanks everyone .... I am sticking to my guns !!!

 

Clare x x x