GP charging for blue badge letter - disabled child

There’s plenty of sympathy. Why do you equate disagreement with nastiness? No one has been unpleasant, just haven’t agreed.

It is standard practice for Dr's to do this, however a teacher at the school or the Head of the school could write a letter explaining the situation, as well as the fact they have seen him being not aware of road safety.

Standard here in South Wales too OP.

It doesn't guarantee that the nasties don't turn up, but there is a disabilities board that is friendlier. You need to understand that empathy around here is reserved for only those earning £100k pa wanting to not pay tax.

I work about 80 hours a week unpaid for my community and it keeps me away from my family and not one person that I do that for does a thing for me. AND this is because of people asking for things on goodwill. This is purely down to ppl exacting things for nothing and not a choice. So it starts off as 1 hour then extends to unreasonable hours. This is the extreme end of what 'empathy' does.

I wasn't asking for what you do voluntarily in the community, I meant as an expectation from others as part of your job - how many extra hours do you do because ppl expect it?

I was asking for a reciprocal arrangement - what do you do for your GP/kid's school/nursery etc for the unpaid labour they do for you?

@C8H10N4O2 in England, the automatic entitlements to a blue badge are the same across all councils. In England, high rate mobility DLA entitles the claimant to a blue badge whatever council they live in.

@Isobel201 in England, the automatic entitlements to a blue badge are the same across all councils. In England, with PIP, 8 points in the moving around activity automatically entitles someone to a blue badge, but 8 points from the planning and following a journey activity doesn’t. Although that doesn’t mean people can’t still apply and be assessed.

Does he get DLA? My Grandson got one automatically with our council by providing his award letter .

Have you not gone under the SMI,route he would have an automatic enttlemrnt?

OP I’m a GP and as others have said, and as you now realise, the NHS won’t cover this sort of work unfortunately. It’s a bit like if your child went to nursery, and you paid a monthly fee for it, then one of the staff babysat for you one Saturday night. That cost wouldn’t be covered by your monthly fee. You’d have to pay the nursery worker separately.

Also, it’s not necessarily the individual GP’s decision how much to charge. The practice will have a policy, decided on by the partners and manager, and the BMA guidelines.

It’s frustrating, I understand that, but the volume of supporting letters is such that waiving the fees would lead to hours and hours of unpaid work. And by definition, most of the supporting letters we write are for people who are disadvantaged. That said, I have written letters to support council house applications and insisted on not charging. I can’t see the point in forcing someone who is homeless to try and scrape together £20 for a letter . I’d rather work for free than do that.

Not in every area. Just like “the" NHS is actually a million little fiefdoms, each with their own set of rules and rationing criteria the criteria and requirements applied by differing badge awarding authorities vary widely.

Whacking up the extra barriers to make it as difficult as possible is a common tactic. Some will accept a specified level of PIP or DLA as a qualifier, others don’t. Kent is apparently in the latter category.

I suspect very few people who haven’t done it have the slightest clue about the costs involved with a significantly disabled child. PIP and carers allowance don’t touch the additional costs for many let alone the fact that in many cases one parent loses an income to provide the care.

yes it depends on certain councils, but with mine I can apply for one with standard PIP, not enhanced.

The point a lot of people were making is that neither the GP or the parent should have to do this. There is already a completely FREE process to apply for the badge? Therefore both parties are in an awkward situation where the parent should not even have to ask the GP but strangely, the entire blame is on the GP

I don’t think you’re unreasonable to be shocked by this, OP.

I’m not criticising the GP but I think it’s really sad that it’s come to this, parents of disabled kids being charged for letters so they can access services/aids on their children’s behalf.

I’m sorry, but I disagree that anyone has been nasty; they have presented a different point of view robustly, but that’s not “nasty”. You’ve accused other poster’s of lacking empathy for your struggle but my exasperation is because I’m struggling too, in no small part because of all the additional stuff I do for free and the guilt engendered by the abuse when I don’t do things for free. So I think there may be a lack of empathy, or at least understanding, in your initial stance too.

I do think it is a problem that so many people feel that things like this (the letter) should be provided by the State. The welfare state - without any concerted effort or design - has changed completely from what it was intended to be initially. There’s no problem with change but there’s no consensus on what should be covered - which is problematic. Also it has encouraged many of us to stop seeing dealing with our unique circumstances as our, or even primarily our, own responsibility. And the main problem with that is when that falls outside what the State will do, we get cross because we think someone else should sort it (Dr, lawyer, lady at the LA etc) and we lack the ability to deal with it (not saying you specifically do, people in general) or the mindset not to be put out by it. Which makes it harder again.

None of this is your fault of course, and may well not apply to you - I imagine in your circumstances you have had to develop great resilience to support your child. But it is a general problem and it seems like your issue is with the allocation of finite resources - which is not really anyone’s fault and something (else) you have to deal with. But I echo what someone up thread has said - who else should have to deal with it?

I agree it’s really hard but cannot be amended as much of the form filling isn’t children needing badges (as this is now free via the council) it’s people with insurance forms, who can afford the insurance product therefore need to pay the fee, or parents who want to take their DC on a trip

Depends entirely on your GP surgery
My current surgery does not charge for things like that (not even for fit notes) but a sign at reception says they may charge for insurance claim letters
My previous surgery charged for just about everything, including taking prescriptions to the local pharmacy (in the days before EPS)

Surely you know that the state (taxpayers) pay 600K per qualification (training) per one GP? Surely you know medical degrees are insanely subsidised and whatever medical students pay, does not begin to scratch the surface of the real cost borne by teh society? Surely they should show some elementary shame and not charge a disabled person for a letter that their secretary would type in 2 minutes, using a template? And the same secretary (salaried, harassed) would attach a facsimile of the doctor's signature?

It doesn’t really work like that. Unfortunately things like choosing to fly on a plane to go on holiday and needing a letter to fly isn’t a ‘medical need’ / your GP isn’t recommending you go to Spain are they? or getting yourself life insurance and needing a GP sign off isn’t a ‘medical need’ it’s financial for your mortgage.

the NHS was never intended to do all that extra work. It’s not intended to do the work of others to make your life easier or cheaper.

I do think a lot of GP’s will waive a fee for a child or special circumstances and I do appreciate the OP feeling upset by it

but then other people have come and shown their entitlement and why there are fees. Why should you get 30 mins of free NHS time for your mortgage insurance form to be filled out when there are other patients with actual illnesses who need an appointment? This is why it’s not NHS work

The PP I replied to stated: How many of them on here would do something for nothing that impacts on their family life? I bet none!

I answered that. And my GP VOLUNTARILY waived their charge. And have done so on multiple occasions. Which is the point of this thread.

I am not arguing that I think they should HAVE to or that where they charge it is wrong, I have simply pointed out that GPs have discretion as to when/whom they charge for a service and I am lucky enough to GPs who CHOOSE not to charge for a lot of stuff for my kids when it has been to do with their disabilities. That’s the GPs’ right, too. They don’t take their instruction from moral crusaders on MN.

No point getting your knickers in a twist with me over an educated professional’s personal choices. I didn’t ASK them to waive their fee.

How are you after your empathy bypass? Making a good recovery?

Perhaps you should be made to walk a mile in OP'S shoes.

I had to get a GP's letter to support my blue badge appeal. I was not charged for this - it may have been because it was a more straightforward case. I'm an adult though. Also had to have a letter from my specialist team for my condition, again provided without charge....
Do think you are suffering appalling treatment.....

That's voluntary.

Something that you chose to do that you get some emotional or social reward for and have the spare time to do - otherwise you wouldn't be volunteering.

That's not at all the same as someone doing work for free outside of their employment contract when the fees charged go towards the running of the business.