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?

I’m always shocked by how many posters on here who are affected by disabilities within their nuclear families are so judgmental about the disabilities suffered by others. My teen has a Blue Badge and would probably ‘boil your piss’ because she can walk without any difficulty but she is blind and so is in danger of being knocked down walking across any car park, especially as she has no visible marker to her sight loss such as a Guide Dog or a mobility cane.

I’m not in the least judgemental. The reason I needed a blue badge for my mum was because she used a wheelchair - the marking on the disabled spaces is a bit of a clue as to who qualifies for one. Obviously someone who’s blind merits one. The extremely obese man with a limp probably doesn’t.

You say you are not in
the least bit judgemental but then say the extremely obese man with a lump probably doesn’t. How do you know he doesn’t? Maybe he’s got another condition meaning he can’t walk far and that’s why he’s become obese as he’s struggled to exercise at all. The point is you just don’t know only the blue badge assessors do and he would have had to supply evidence same as anyone else

Limp not lump that should say

The first part and the last part contradict each other.

@Blossomtoes
You don't know if the obese man with a limp also has heart failure, chronic kidney disease, COPD and an autoimmune disorder which means he's on oral steroids -which have contributed to his weight. All of these things are hidden to the non-clinical member of the public. All you need to know is that a clinical person has assessed his application and evidence, and deemed him as meeting the threshold for a BB.
Don't let it boil your piss, it's none of your business quite frankly.

So we’re saying the blue badge system in every part of the country is 100% infallible, are we? Just like the assessment for disability benefits? You’re all either incredibly naive or just looking for an argument.

You dont need your GP the Cardiologist can fill out the form

Also in most cases you dont need anything from the GP just to fill out the form and they can arrange their own assessment

No we’re not and we all know there are people that lie but if you know of anyone where that is definately the case then report them through the appropriate channels for fraud.

No we’re not and we all know there are people that lie

OK. You’ve just contradicted yourself but I’ll leave you to it.

I'm not looking for an argument at all, I think that's somewhat ironic.
Your difficult experience has coloured your view clearly.
Blue Badges applications and their evidence are assessed by a clinically-appropriate person. You feel you can do a better job, based on your arbitrary observations, so what's stopping you from training as an OT?
There are obviously hierarchies of disabilities, as I've stated upthread. Again, that's for a clinician to judge.

There's a misconception on this thread that the wider bays are for wheelchair users only. Nothing whatsoever to do with that, the yellow lines are to provide enough space for the disabled person to exit /enter near to the entrance of the building.

I have seen the blue badge application form for the area I live in. The questions were factual & included how far the person could walk ( it was a certain number of metres). It wasn't up to the GP to grant a blue badge but only to give the evidence.

Haven't seen the forms for ROI but it sounds as if the GP was saying that they couldn't in good conscience say yes to at least one of the questions, like "can the person only walk less than 200 metres". (or whatever, I don't know what the actual question was that the GP felt they couldn't lie about).

It would be unreasonable to ask the GP to lie about a factual thing.

But I wonder if they might feel able to agree to it if the question was seen as what your mum could manage on her worst days? She might meet the criteria on those days, even if she can occasionally walk further.

How have a contradicted myself I’ve said you can’t judge as you don’t know peoples disabilities that is true. I’ve also said they’d will be people that will lie that is true. I was replying to your comment about the obese man with a limp probably not needing, you don’t know what other conditions he had, he could be an out and out liar and fraudster but you don’t know so can’t judge. Someone using a wheelchair could also be a liar and fraudster and not really need it you just don’t know.

The PIP system in England now acknowledges that activities should be judged on whether the claimant can carry them out reliably (safely), repeatedly and in a reasonable time.

So a person who could walk slowly, once in a day, to a shop door from a car, but would as a result be in a great deal of pain, would gain points.

So how is this process fair if you have a GP who refuses to complete the documentation so you can’t even apply?

You apply for a blue badge yourself. Doesn't have anything to do with gp.

The GP has to supply supporting documentation where I live.

@Blossomtoes
We're talking about the ROI, which is a civilised country and therefore will have an appeal process.
Either ask the GP to reconsider, try another GP in the practice, complain to the practice manager or ROI's equivalent of the CCG ie use your democratic rights.

How do you define the most disabled?
My son has a blue badge,he's twelve and extremely mobile ,he can run ,jump ,etc however he also has severe autism and learning disabilities and has zero danger awareness we need to be near to where we are going for his safety
My mum also has a blue badge she can barely walk and and exertion leaves her in pain ,the point being once she's in her wheelchair she's far safer than my son
It's not disability top trumps

That’s the system in the Republic of Ireland where the op lives and I don’t think it is fair but I live in England so applied under the English system

It's defined clinically @x2boys and In your own example, both of your family members have a BB.
This poster's GP has clinically decided that the lady in question doesn't meet the clinical threshold.
OP can appeal this or approach another GP.

PIP is obviously awarded on a hierarchy of disability too, also by a clinically appropriate person. There are all combinations of monies awarded based on the evidenced disabilities.
So let's not be disingenuous about hierarchies of disabilities.

Obviously there are loads of PIP /DLA appeals too. That's often wrong too but the point is there are undeniable hierarchies of disabilities.

My GP wrote saying she felt we needed one for dc (England) as we haven ‘t seen his paediatrician due to lockdown and the council refused to follow her advice as they don’t have to.

Blue badges aren't rationed. They are available to anybody who needs one, there is no issue of 'priority'.

OP, is there more than one GP at the practice?