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Department for Work and Pensions

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Category: General
Created on Thursday, 08 September 2005 19:13
Published on Thursday, 08 September 2005 00:00
Hits: 57979

Representatives of the Fibromyalgia Association had a very informative and constructive meeting with representatives of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and SchlumbergerSema Medical Services on 26 November 2002.

The meeting was chaired by Professor Mansel Aylward, the DWP's Chief Medical Adviser, and the DWP representatives included doctors and non-medical decision makers who decide Disability Living Allowance claims.

 

Topics and concerns discussed included:
  • How medical assessments for benefits are carried out
  • Training and quality monitoring of examining doctors
  • Lack of understanding of fibromyalgia and disability assessment by some GPs
  • The complexity of benefit claim forms
  • The duration of some awards of benefit, especially Disability Living Allowance
Professor Aylward, on behalf of the DWP, reaffirmed that the DWP recognises fibromyalgia as a real and disabling condition, and not just something that is "all in the mind". Even though the cause of fibromyalgia remains unclear, the important factor when deciding benefit claims is the effect the condition has on the individual. Medical Services doctors who assess people on behalf of the DWP are trained in disability assessment medicine; and the DWP is developing a training website for GPs, to raise their understanding of this specialised field.

 

Medical Services described their work to continually improve medical quality standards of doctors carrying out assessments, ensuring the ongoing training programme meets customer needs. Feedback from customers, whether complaints or compliments, is welcomed, as a measure of progress and to identify issues that need attention.

 

The DWP decision makers described the work that has been done and is still in progress to improve claim forms. They stressed the importance of having as much information as possible, and that all evidence is looked at in making a decision. They felt symptom diaries would be a valuable form of information about how the condition was affecting a particular individual.

 

All the participants agreed the meeting was fruitful, and that further meetings would be arranged.

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