nhs trust using direct payments as a weapon

[stuffed]

Last December I had doctor and hospital verified health problems that at one point resulted in an admission to hospital.

 

My direct payments were cut and only reinstated after I was forced to attend an assessment for CQUIN requirements of trust.

 

The assessment offered nothing of value to me and I found it most distressing and advocate thought it totally inappropriate.

 

Now again my direct payments have been deliberately cut off after repeated direct financial assessment cancelled by the trust either the day before or one hour before.

 

The advocate complained about this treatment regards meetings

 

 

So I have emailed the advocate to inform him my direct payments again have been deliberately cut by NHS trust without notice.

 

It seems a continued battle and harrassment from a seemingly untouchable feckless organization.

 

Last time it was dwp/atos and no money for 2 months- it seems state sponsored harassment of disabled.

[nippy sweetie]

Direct Payments are not administered by NHS. Speak to your local Social work dept or are there any local advisers on benefits?

[Special_talent123]

Some are depending on what team they are on nippie

[stuffed]

So far ignoring them completely has proved successful as in my area the nhs trust oversee the council assessment and co fund direct payments.

 

My local nhs foundation trust are vindictive and there is no benefit to their interference, I got so peeved and poor I burnt all the direct payments paper work and simply pay hired help via cheque.

 

I recently recieved a news letter and junk from Enham trust, from prior experience of so called help I'm deeply suspicious.

I find there completely irrelevant news letters annoying and called to ask them to stop.

 

While the direct payments keep coming and no annoying paperwork works for me.

[Sally44]

I know how frustrating all this is. But please do not burn documents and paperwork because if you ever need it as evidence, you've not got it.

 

If the Direct Payments are part funded by Social Services, they are employees of the local authority. So you can lodge a complaint with the Local Governments Ombudsman. It is relatively simple to do, and your advocate should be able to help you do that. It would involve writing a letter of formal complaint to your local authority and stating in the letter that it is a formal complaint about your Direct Payments being stopped and ask them to carry out an investigation and give them 14 days within which to respond. Once you have their response, if you are not happy you can lodge a complaint with the LGO, which would simply involve a telephone call and sending them a copy of your letter and the LA's response.

[Sally44]

Alternatively, or as well as, you can lodge a complaint with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. This is the link http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/

 

I know all this paperwork is frustrating and daunting for you alone. But your advocate should be able to help you do it. And I know that you should not have to do it in the first place, but it is becoming more and more common for those with the most need having their support reduced because they are the less likely to be able to complain about it.

 

You also have the evidence that you do need this support because you are paying someone directly yourself. So keep that paperwork too.

 

I remember the problems you were having with ATOS previously, as you probably know thousands of others had problems with them too. So please do not think it is a personal attack. It is about large organisations either making a mistake, or trying to save money.

 

Try to get your complaint in, as any compensation or restoration should start from either when your payments were reduced or stopped, or when you lodged your complaint. Don't just ignore it.