Today it was reported by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) that the average the rate of COVID-19 infection is 1.9 times higher amongst primary and secondary teachers, than in the general population. For teaching assistants, the rate of COVID infection is three times higher in primary schools. Despite this, the Government are using Lateral Flow tests against the Medicine
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This week Healthcare Professionals across the country have been warning the government that supplies of essential items such as masks are aprons are running low. Despite the Prime Minister’s assertion that NHS staff would get everything they needed, a NHS Trust has taken to Twitter begging for soap for their nurses. With us barely two weeks into the UK’s response
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Last week, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd announced that her department was looking into combining the health assessments for certain benefits into one. However, rather than remedy anything,this would then risk sick and disabled claimants losing two benefits at once. Currently, benefit claimants who have a health condition or disability face separate assessments when applying for welfare benefits like
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A local council in London has called the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) “grotesque and unbelievable” after they discovered claimants are being visited whilst in hospital. One claimant who missed an appointment because on an operation was shocked when a jobcentre adviser arrived at their bedside. It’s no secret that if you’re on Universal Credit you run the risk
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It has emerged that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have already started development of an digital tool that will automatically trawl claimants NHS medical records. Health professionals have raised fears that the doctor patient relationship could be at risk as claimants will be less likely to be completely open about their condition in fear of the DWP using
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Tory MP and supposed Knight of the Realm Sir Roger Gale, sent a response to a constituent that only be described as contemptuous. Sir Roger had received an email from a constituent who was concerned about the planned closure of the Stoke Unit at the QEQM Hospital in Margate. He responded with a short sharp message blowing them off. Specialist
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Minister for Disabled People, Sarah Newton MP gave a statement on the 20th of December updating the House of Commons on the progress of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). What seems to have gone largely unreported is that at least 4,600 people who were found to have incorrectly lost their Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in 2017, still haven’t been contacted by
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A Freedom of Information request has shown that since Personal Independence Payment (PIP) came into being in 2013, over two-thirds of cases that go to Tribunal result in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decision being overturned. This will come as no surprise as the number of decisions emerging in favour of the claimant has always been high. What
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Stuart’s lastest entry. I do not edit or censor Stuart’s entries as I feel it’s better to let him write his opinion from inside the system with no interference. The PIP claim form which is 40 pages long and half the question are pointless to my health problems. Also why can i not supply my medical records and the 19
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Data released in a Freedom of Information request (FOI) by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows between 2010 and 2014, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants with a mental health condition were 5 times as likely to be sanctioned than those with other health conditions. The FOI request submitted by Jack Dutton on whatdotheyknow.com asked for; “A graph showing the employment and
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A report by The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that over one third of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants don’t appeal the decision made during the mandatory reconsideration (MR) stage because the process would be too stressful. This comes as figures show that the DWP spent £200 million fighting disability appeals. The report released by the DWP shows
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The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have issued an apology to two woman who were left lying on the street for hours in Edinburgh as they waited on an ambulance. The first woman who suffered a broken collarbone had began to show signs of hypothermia by the time the ambulance did eventually arrive. This occured the same day that an 86-year-old
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Cytomegalovirus (sy·toe·MEG·a·low·vy·rus) commonly called CMV, is a common virus that is generally harmless to people with healthy immune systems. However pregnant women who haven’t been exposed to CMV are at risk of passing it to their unborn child should they come into contact with it. Here is my latest poem I have written about it. There is more information at
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Alex’s recent ordeal with Universal Credit (UC) and their reversal of their previous decision about his health and its impact on his ability to work motivated me to write a quick article about health and Universal Credit. For those with health conditions, registering for Universal Credit can be an intimidating ordeal. When it comes to those with health conditions, typically
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