AIBU? GP refusing my mum a blue badge

[JollyJunee]

I’m so cross with my mum’s GP! Maybe we are in the wrong.
Mum is in her 80s. She has a pacemaker and defib due to a genetic heart condition. She can walk upstairs but slowly and would sometimes need to stop half way up. If we were walking and there was an incline/steep bit, she would have to rest. If it was more than a domestic flight of stairs she wouldn’t even try it.
she walks the dog every day. Slowly, on a totally flat route. She has told me that on the ‘bad’ days she knows the spots where there is a bench/low wall and she can rest.
She also has severe diverticular disease and would occasionally have pretty big bleeds from that which leaves her totally wiped out for a few days. She asked about blue badge last year, and GP refused to fill in the form. Told my mum he wasn’t allowed to lie and she can walk perfectly well. But she struggles a lot at times. He told her if she walks and doesn’t get her heart rate up it’s not worth walking at all.
she saw new cardiologist recently with me. We asked him about it and he was amazed GP refused. Said he would write on the letter to GP about mums issues again. He is arranging a procedure for my mum and it will definitely set her back for a while. She saw GP again today and really fought her case, but GP adamant, my mum can walk and so doesn’t need a blue badge.
Are we being lazy so and so? I would have thought my mum was an ideal person for a blue badge? It’s really knocking her. AIBU?

The criteria is the same throughout England and does not differ by area although differs for Scotland Wales and n ireland

www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-can-i-get-one/can-i-get-a-blue-badge

Your GP's right. Doesn't sound like it's unsafe for her to exert herself so she should be trying to do enough to maintain her current fitness and ideally get fitter. She could walk a few metres further every week, or aim to do her usual dog walk one minute faster - small things make a difference.

In the Republic of Ireland, where the OP is resident with her family (based on their posts), you DO need to get sign off from a GP, it's one of the basic requirements.

There is not a hierarchy of disability. If the OP mother meets the criteria, she should apply if she wishes too.

It's such utter bollocks to say that there is no hierarchy of disability. Of course there is. It may feel lovely and affirming to deny that, but the upshot is that the most disabled lose out, because the less disabled use scarce resources that they don't absolutely need. It would be wonderful if there were enough blue badge spaces for everyone with mild mobility restrictions. There aren't. Every blue badge issued to someone who doesn't absolutely need it means less resources for the most disabled.

And the whole point of the GP's refusal is that he feels the OP's DM does not meet the criteria.

When I applied for DM’s blue badge I was told to base the application on her worst days

Hmmmm. OP you say she walks the dog, albeit with planned bench/wall sitting stops. But then she needs a blue badge to get (from the car) to the shops but would be OK walking around them?

With kindness op, I think you are underestimating how much people with disabilities rely on blue badges, and how their everyday life is impacted by mobility issues. Every aspect of their lives, and often with no improvement in sight.

Both my grandparents had blue badges, and when we got to the shoping centre or supermarket we'd plonk them in a cafe and they'd sit awhile whilst we did all their running about. They could no more manage to walk round Sainsburys than I could fly to the moon. Unfortunately old age brings ill health and deteriorating mobility, but if she still has the ability to walk the dog and mooch round the supermarket then I think she could find other ways to manage her expectations at 80years old. Even after a bleed, she should be recovering rather than wanting to be running to the shops. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh.

Another vote for you just apply to your local council not via your gp. Unless it's different for ROI.

That's not true. People over a certain age can't claim PIP anyway. Their route for a Blue Badge is via a Doctors report and assessment by someone in the local blue badge team.

There is no hierarchy of disability. Do we start grading people according to what conditions they have, and deciding how disabled a person is compared to the next person with the same condition? If the OP mother is awarding a BB and is able to walk, why do you think it is acceptable to say that she should she be more concerned about someone who can not walk at all, using a BB parking space. If a person is awarded a BB, than they have qualified for one. They are not handed out like sweeties for nothing. So less of the more, or less disabled talk please. It is not helpful at all.

She can walk the dog, she can walk from a car to a shop. Stop trying it on OP.
The GP is right to encourage her to stay active.
You are going to damage the relationship and trust between your DM and her GP by complaining about this.

I dont know much about these things but I'm surprised the GP doesn't think she is eligible. A friend of mine has one with cystic fibrosis - she can walk its just longer distances are harder. Doesn't sound so dissimilar to be honest. Blue badge often means parking closer to shops which can be a big help when walking is a struggle

Here in Ireland it can be your gp or consultant who certifies you meet the criteria, so your mum's cardiologist can do it, no need for the gp at all ;). That's according to the citizens advice page.

I agree with this. While clearly she has issues she's walking type dog daily so has mobility even if she she stops at benches
I found it quite strict sorting my mums. Even at renewal stage I have to complete multiple pages of forms. My mum can barely walk a few steps or stand for more than 30 seconds unaided

I was given a blue badge because I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I didnt even see the form, the hospice filled it in and submitted it. I am able to walk but I dont know if it was given because I have been on chemo a lot. I actually only use mine if there is nowhere to park on a road, as I can park on yellow lines.
It is reviewed every 3 years I think.

The trouble is though how does this actually work in practise as you would have to grade every single person who has a blue badge and even then their needs can be different on different days so it will never be totally fair, constantly changing and be an administrative nightmare. You would like to think that people with a Bluse badge choose not to use if there is an alternative viable option at the time. I’ve been awarded one for my son but he’s not in a wheelchair so if there was plenty of other spaces available even slightly further away id use them as the wheelchair user needs the bigger space. However you then have wheelchair users that need the bigger space but are extremely fit and do marathons so once they are out the car they don’t need to be close- where should they go in the hiararchy? It’s just so variable that a system of you qualify or don’t qualify is all they can do

"She's borderline for the U.K. criteria. The main advantage of a blue badge is actually the wider space so you can get a wheelchair around the side or if you need to open the door fully and assist them with a seatbelt"

The UK criteria isn't based upon needing space to get out. Needing space ( as the only need) doesn't qualify anyone for a blue badge.

People who can take their dog for a walk can qualify but it depends upon the medical reason they are claiming under.

It's because you admitted to her walking the dog. I recently applied for one for my 78 year old dad (successfully). He sounds very similar to your mum in terms of mobility; he has a heart condition and kidney problems. I took the approach of "don't lie but talk about the worst days".

In the UK, it's usually an Occupational Therapist attached to the local council who decides whether to issue a blue badge. Their decision to issue a BB is based on the evidence submitted with the application.
I do agree with @MissLucyEyelesbarrow, of course there's a hierarchy of disability, it's an undeniable fact. However, the BB system isn't tiered.

GP doesn't get to decide. I have one for MS but I'm arguably more mobile than your mum most days. I just had to provide my diagnosis letter and then I had a phone interview.

Can I pm you? Have some experience, am also in ROI

THE OP IS IN IRELAND not the UK

Sorry @Doggydarling I wasn't shouting at you Far from it.

Glad you can help.

I had the same thing with my mum’s GP. Even after she started using a wheelchair they wouldn’t give in. I started using parent and child spaces. The thing that boiled my piss was the number of people I saw with blue badges who could walk far better than she could.

But it’s not necessarily for not being able to walk, you don’t know why they got the blue badge