The Jermy Family
C/o XXXXXXXX
Thetford, Norfolk
IP24 XXXXX
To;
Chief Executive, West
Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, Hardwick Lane, Bury St Edmunds IP33 2QZ
C.c.
Doctors
Wilford & Butcher, Grove Lane Surgery, Grove Lane, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24
2HY
Monday 5th
January 2014
Dear All,
Re: Mr Trevor Jermy, National Insurance
Number: XXXXXX
We are writing to complain about the length of time taken
to process a Personal Independence Payment (PIP – formerly known as Disability
Living Allowance) for our father Mr Trevor Jermy. And we are furthermore
writing to complain about the quality of care that our father has received from
the National Health Service following his stroke and the speed at which
information has been provided by healthcare professionals to enable our father
to receive crucial financial support.
Our father
suffered a severe stroke on Friday 16th August 2013 and was admitted
to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He remained in hospital
for a period of three weeks and for the first week he was only able to receive
nutrients via a drip and for the second week via pureed food. The hospital
environment, with very strict visiting rules and some quite elderly stroke
victims surrounding him was not conducive to dad’s recovery so it was agreed
that he would be released home on the basis that our mother – Elaine Jermy –
would be able to care for him. This was despite our mothers own hearing
difficulties. The stroke itself was a complete shock for our father, and the
family. Dad is only 55 years of age and had never had a stroke before.
Our father’s
physical abilities and cognitive skills have been severely affected as a result
of the stroke and he was confined to a bed for six weeks upon arriving home.
The family was told that he would be able to receive weekly physiotherapy at
home; but three weeks passed with no visit. It wasn’t until a family member
queried this that a visit was forthcoming. There have been numerous
physiotherapy appointments that were made, but people did not turn up for – and
did not telephone ahead to cancel the visits, creating additional concern and
worry for the family. Once being sent home, no medical personnel visited the
home to check on ours father’s progress for several weeks, and a visit only
occurred when our mother telephoned the local surgery and a Doctor subsequently
visited.
At no stage were the family informed about any
entitlement to benefits and it was only through independent research that the
family became aware of PIP. Therefore, on the 24th September 2013, a
claim was lodged on behalf of our father by a family member for the Personal
Independence Payment. A letter was issued from the Department of Work and
Pensions on the 1st October requesting additional information. This
was completed and returned the same day. Following this, a 36 page questionnaire
was sent to us on the 15th October 2013; this was promptly completed
and returned. We were then written to on the 3rd November 2013,
stating that the questionnaire had not been received – so we telephoned to
query this, as it had already been sent. It was confirmed to us by the
telephone call that the paperwork had indeed been received successfully.
At the end
of November, we telephoned again for an update and were informed that our claim
was waiting to be processed. We were informed that they were specifically
awaiting medical information to decide whether or not a mobility assessment
would be needed.
During
December, we telephoned ATOS to ask for an update on the claim and were told
that it was “awaiting processing”. We made it clear that the financial
assistance was desperately needed and asked for an anticipated decision date,
which they were unable to provide.
As of today
(5th January 2014) – we have still not received any update regarding
the PIP claim, despite the process initiating on the 24th September
2013.
Our mother
is unable to claim Carers Allowance until Dads PIP claim has been resolved. It
is our understanding that whilst the PIP payment can be backdated to the claim
date, the Carers Allowance will only be backdated for a maximum of 12 weeks.
Therefore, with the delay in processing the PIP, our mother is losing money
that she is entitled to via the Carers Allowance. Furthermore, our father’s
eyesight was greatly affected by the stroke and he is in need of an eye test
and glasses, but cannot afford this. Once the PIP has been awarded then he is
eligible for free eye treatment.
Our father
was paid his basic salary by his employer whilst in hospital for a period of
three weeks until he was transferred onto Statutory Sick Pay of £86.70 a week.
Dad undertook a very manual role as an engineer locally for the same employer
for the past 25 years. Following Dads stroke, Mum took annual leave from her
employer initially, and then sick pay for a short period and was signed off
work by a Doctor due to stress. Mum was put onto Statutory Sick Pay on 28th
October 2013.
Therefore,
the entire household income has been reduced from Dads 39 hour a week job, and Mums
30 hour a week job, to just £173.40 a week between them. This amount does not
even cover the monthly mortgage payment. When Dad had the stroke he severely
damaged his car, and after considerable delay and hard work on behalf of family
members, the insurance company paid out £2,500 based on the cars value. This
money to a large extent is what they have been living off since the stroke,
with additional support being provided by family members where possible.
Both Mum and
Dad have worked since the age of 16 and given significant sums of money through
tax and national insurance contributions. Even when mum gave birth to us, she
was back at work within six weeks. In the months prior to dad’s stroke he was paying
£200 a week in tax and national insurance contributions as well as contributing
£40 a week towards his own private pension. In the last financial year, according
to his P60, Dad paid £5,859.60 in tax and a further £3,389.02 in National
Insurance.
For somebody
that has worked so hard, contributed to society and paid his way in life, we
find his treatment and support available since his stroke to be utterly
deplorable.
If it were
not for the car insurance pay-out, and the ability of a few family members to
support them financially, our parents would be in a desperate state of affairs,
and likely to be adding to the queues at the local Foodbank.
To add
insult to injury – Dad’s appointment at West Suffolk Hospital’s ‘Elderly and
Stroke Medicine Clinic’ for a review, originally scheduled for Friday 17th
January 2014, has recently been postponed until Friday 14th March 2014!
In addition
to this, the family have been making attempts to make a claim through Dads
critical illness insurance policy. This was initiated during September. On the
1st October 2013 the policy provider – XXXXX, wrote to us
to say that they had written to both Grove Lane Surgery and West Suffolk
Hospital to request medical information about Dad. Then, on the 4th
November 2013, XXXXX wrote to us again to say that they had received
some information from Grove Lane Surgery, but would be requesting further
information and that West Suffolk Hospital had failed to respond at all. XXXXXX telephoned West Suffolk Hospital and spoke to the relevant
Doctor’s Secretary who informed them that they had not received the original
request. XXXXXXXX duly sent the request via fax that same day. On the 12th
November 2013, XXXXXXX wrote to us to say that they had still not
received any information from West Suffolk Hospital. This claim has still not
been processed and we have still not received any financial support from this
policy.
We hope that
this letter may serve on a personal level to ensure the prompt completion of
the PIP process and serve as a wider wake-up call that the system is clearly
failing.
Yours
sincerely,
Terry Jermy Michelle
Jermy Ricky Jermy
