So the GP won't sign my legal aid form

[TtipParty]

Basically he says there isn't enough evidence to prove i've experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse from h. I suppose I should've expect this because I never actually went to the police when he tried to suffocate me, or all the times he groped me without my consent, or when he used to take me by the arms and shake me, pushing me against the wall. GP says he only has my word to go on, and that's not enough.

I've filed a complaint, but not sure if I should hold out any hope of it being upheld or acted on? To be more specific, he said he could agree that my anxiety (or 'only anxiety' as he put it) was consistent with domestic abuse, but he couldn't agree that he was satisfied it wasn't due to 'something else'. I asked him what else he thought it could be caused by, and he said he didn't know, could be anything, and his job had to be evidence based.

It's not 'many organisations' who direct DV victims to the gp, it's the stupid fucking government.
We don't base our assessments on uninformed opinion, thanks very much, we carry out assessments. I'm not suggesting a GP would or should do a social care assessment but they can certainly assess enough in a 30 minute appointment to give an informed professional view regarding the likelihood of the person having experienced DV.
It's a stupid system but then we have a stupid government.

I think asking for a 'second opinion' is good advice.

Ehric

GPs don't have 30 min appointments.

They base their opinions on the notes reflecting attendances. Nothing else. This situation would be very different if the OP had a few (or even one?) previous attendances with DV related issues.

If all that is required is "patient told me xyz..." it really doesn't require a medical opinion.

And yes, loads of organisations, including government departments, direct people to get GP signatures, letters etc with no consulation with GPs or consideration of what is appropriate.

I in the first instance went to my Gp asking for help for anxiety resulting from dv. Then a couple of weeks later I asked them to sign the legal aid form- it states Gp doesn't have to prove DV, just confirm that you are being treated for a condition as a result of dv. I would go to another dr, and do as I have done. It's a formality, the form says the signature is purely for a gateway to legal aid, not evidence in a court of law.

Exactly.^ He doesn't have to prove DV/A himself, and he doesn't need it to have been proved by you.

All that is required is that he confirms you have been treated for x condition since y date. That on z date you informed him of abuse, which you had not previously disclosed, and that x condition may be related to abuse. That way he's covered.

But, he doesn't want to, that's the point.

The main problem seems to be that I did things in the wrong order. Having done that, I can't really go back and try to reverse things without raising more eyebrows. I've been so busy with the many dcs, I can probably count on one hand the number of times i've been seen by a doctor for my own problems. Ironically he pointed out something in my notes which was a complete accident, and proving my honesty and stupidity in one fell swoop I said, 'oh no, that really was just me walking into a door.'

I've basically just been coping with my anxiety by barricading the doors at night and obsessively checking all windows before going to bed. and making sure i'm never alone with h when he comes to visit. oh, and making sure he handed back his key when he moved out. All very healthy and normal. No pills or therapy for Ttip! If only I wasn't such a fucking 'coper', but I suppose I just got so used to it - when we lived together I'd always shut myself in our room after a bad fight, 'just in case'. old habits and all that...

Fucking stupid Ttip.

So are you not actually being treated for anxiety?

You ARE NOT stupid OP. You have done what so many of us do (and are often encouraged to do by those around us) which is to pretend that everything is ok for as long as you can. You keep going so that you don't cause a fuss, disrupt the DC, or provoke the fuckers that are being abusive to be even worse.

The good news is that it seems all the fucking smug posters ('oh keep suffering OP, it's more than his oh so fucking important job is worth, don't dare to actually expect to be treated decently for once little woman')
are WRONG!!

(Can you tell I'm bloody fuming at the response you've had on here tonight?)

Read this link from BMA advice to GPs on completing the form. Then ring WA to find a GP who knows what they're doing and see them for a second opinion.

bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/pay-fees-allowances/fees/fee-finder/fee-finder-legal-aid-domestic-violence

thanks bunchofolives

and no. i'm not being treated. i was hoping to be treated, but obviously that's not going to happen now.

i've been standing in the shower wondering what i can do to be taken seriously. that's not a healthy situation.

i'm off to bed.

If you change to another GP you could get lucky.

Just noticed that posters I thought would know better hissy Anyfucker have completely misinterpreted the situation.

The BMA advice specifically says 'Where a patient has been examined in the last 24 months, but there is no clear information in the notes that the patient at the time informed the doctor they were suffering domestic violence, but are doing so now, doctors are advised to state the facts as they understand them and avoid interpretation.

In this situation we would advise members to state that the patient did not disclose at the time of the origin of the injuries but is doing so now'

CLEARLY it is permissible that abuse may not have been disclosed in the past - obviously that has to be the case because it is very very common that a victim of abuse will not disclose (the average number of acts of violence against a woman before she discloses to anyone official is 12) and that's physically observable violence - psychological, sexual and financial abuse are often suffered without them ever being disclosed.

HOWEVER a DA service can sign that form anyway - so fuck the jobsworth GP OP. Just get in touch with women's aid.

He seems to know of your anxiety OP, have you spoken about it in the past to him?

What it comes down to is that abuse is impossible to prove. Even if you have physical injuries, they may not have been caused by your husband. The GP only has your word for that. You cannot actually prove anything you say with regard to physical, sexual, emotional abuse is true.

It simply comes down to whether they believe you, are sympathetic, and have some knowledge of da.

I can't believe you still saying that twinkel

The BMA guidance cited above says no clear information in the notes that the patient at the time informed the doctor they were suffering domestic violence, but are doing so now, doctors are advised to state the facts - ie you just have to tell your dr that you are suffering DA. They just have to write that they have been told by the patient that they are.

The dr is not 'proving' 'giving evidence' or 'believing' or any of the other frankly fucking dangerous guff written here tonight.

Ttip why are you obviously not going to get treated now? Why are you ignoring the advice to try again, try another gp, go to the police and so on. Frankly, why are you so angry at us? Nothing has happened to prevent you getting treatment for your anxiety.

Thanks buncboffives

toomuch not sure who 'us' is? We're all just anonymous posters on 'tinternet last time I checked. I'm not happy with some of the crap advice I've been given but you shouldn't take it personally. Perhaps you have your own issues?

Lol ttip, perhaps I do

Best of luck

The template letter asks the go to confirm they saw you for something that could be caused by dv, that you have said it.was caused by dv and they have no reason to disbelieve you.
My gp also refused, and given they arent being asked to confirm you are definitely a victim of dv, only that you saw them for a dv related condition and disclosed dv to them i think its utter shit that they wont. My gp said she wouldnt sign it because in her opinion legal aid should only be for "real dv, with physical injuries". So yeah, fuck me and my mental torture.

Lol indeed. I've been away from mn for a while, - the passive aggressive flower-giving flounce seems to be a newish phenomenon. It were different in my day...

Sorry x-post

Sorry, half asleep still, tjat should include some and my sympathy and understanding about the shittiness of it all.

Really sorry to hear that gin. The whole system stinks quite frankly.

Wait a moment. There are two scenarios here.

If a patient has presented for treatment in the last two years, but didn't at that time state it was dv that caused it, but does now, the doctor can sign.

So:

Scenario 1:

Patient noted to have a bruise on face. 'Walked into a door'. Later asks doctor to sign legal aid form citing abuse.

The doctor should sign because it is a late disclosure.

Scenario 2:

Patient presents with depression and anxiety. Denies relationship problems. Antidepressants prescribed. Later comes with legal aid form citing emotional DV.

The doctor should sign as it is a late disclosure.

Scenario 3:

Patient presents with a form for legal aid, stating that they are victim of DV and they have anxiety and depression. They haven't previously had any appointment about this.

In that situation a doctor could well feel unable to sign.

If the OP has been to the doctors in the past for anxiety and/or depression, it's one thing. But if she had gone to get a firm signed with no prior, the GP can't be slated.

I think what we've experienced and what a lot of posters don't get, is how soul destroying it is to finally pluck up the courage to talk about deeply disturbing things with a near stranger and to put your faith in them, only to be told -'uh-uh, you did it wrong'. Yes that's gonna make you angry.