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I remember reading in relation to IAPT CBT that the NHS estimates the overall costs to be £100 per individual session to the CCGs, which is actually much higher than the cost would have been when the CBT therapist (or person centred counsellor) was employed directly by the GP surgery. However...

Looks like they are focusing on unevidenced biomedical treatments, not psychotherapy, physiotherapy, rehabilitative treatments or 'alternative medicine'.

Yes, you can lease a powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme instead of a car. However, if you need both then that is a problem unless you have the money to cover the additional costs, because most people with even severe M.E. will not be eligible for an outside powered wheelchair...

They must have relaxed their interpretation of 'identical' then, since the only way it is possible to acheive this in two copies is for a single device to make a dual recording with a single microphone. However, it is good if the DWP are being flexible in this now. The downside to using amateur...

Agreed! That's why the charities need to get much more rigorous in advocating for us on this.

I don't think they will supply the recording equipment if you have a home assessment. Also, I'm pretty sure it has to be the official dual recording equipment (i.e. a specialist single machine that can make two simultaneous recordings on tape or CD - the type used by the police).

I followed this trial with interest as the young lady who previously supported me (for mental health reasons) dad was part of this trial. She felt many of my symptoms were very like her dads (difficulty walking in a straight line, gait, standing upright, memory problems, tremors etc.) She...

I think it has got to the stage where it is worth the claimant secretly recording the assessment on a smart phone, given it is not illegal in the UK and covert recordings can be accepted as evidence in our courts. It's probably relatively easy to do this if you have a companion with you.

My pharmacy won't pack my Tramadol into the dossette cartridges they use for all my tablets, although they will do this with my other pain killers. Even though I continually risk over-dosing for the very reason you have cited! It's crazy.

Yes, again, they do not understand that memory clinics are for people who have dementia type problems (who lack - even if variably - 'insight' and will eventually show evidence of long-term memory problems), not for those with 'executive function', working memory and/or short-term memory...

Yes, the ATOS workbook is specifically written for these types of health professionals, not doctors.

I think there is a major misunderstanding within medicine around the issue of 'having insight' verses having significant cognitive and executive function problems. This is also a problem for many so called 'high functioning' [sic] autistic people seeking support. It is perfectly possible to...

I have severe M.E., but this is not the reason I was awarded points in these cognitive areas. I was fortunately able to make use of my formal dyslexia/dyspraxia/Irlen Syndrome Ed Psych reports and, in my last PIP assessment, my autism report. Even with these reports, the severe cognitive...

I agree it's vital to fill in the form specifically referencing one's difficulties. However, from the MEA and the amount of appeals of people with ME, there is clearly a problem. The training of the 'Health Professional' via these workbooks has primed them to believe (as the workbook...

Having just re-read this workbook, it is evident that ATOS do not consider cognitive problems as part of 'CFS/ME'. The guide specifies that points should only be awarded under these descriptors if the claimant reports 'having cognitive difficulties in addition to their CFS/ME'. Maybe something...

I don't know about Capita, however I came across the 2016 ATOS CFS/ME workbook that had been scanned and put on the internet by an ex-assessor (who quickly became disillusioned when working for Atos). I tried to upload it here (I don't have the link anymore) but have got a message saying the...

The DWP does publish the generic guidelines, e.g. : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-capability-assessment-handbook-for-healthcare-professionals I suspect the contracted providers only create their own guidelines for the most common and what they consider to be the most complex...

The guidance currently used by Maximus can be viewed by scrolling down and following the links at: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ebm_lima_and_any_other_guideline It is notable that Maximus used the 'allowable exemptions' to redact the case studies in the CFS/ME guide!

It couldn't be that it was specifically designed to provide evidence of the efficacy of CBT on fatigue...

I think this points to their lack of understanding of PEM in ME (or CFS), just focusing on 'fatigue'. My mum died at the age of 84 (of heart failure), by which time she had a lot of medical conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and rheumatism. However, right up until the day she died she could get...