Are there any ex nhs workers out there who have managed to get the higher level of ill retirement from the nhs pension, due to MS? And without being too nosey, what type of MS has been diagnosed. Many thanks 
I retired from the nhs in dec 2011 on ill health due to ms. I was a full time district nurse team leader and had worked for the nhs for 18 years. I was awarded Tier 2. I had excellent medical documentation from my GP and ms nurse stating that the fatigue was so bad that they felt I could no longer work in any capacity. Occ health dr was useless. His report looked like I was as fit as a fiddle! I made a complaint about him for other reasons and got my GP to fill in the pensions form instead. I was never assessed by Atos (who decide what tier you get and inform the pensions agency about what they have decided) and started to receive my pension in the April of 2012. I first had neuro symptoms in 1994, the same year as I started in the nhs. I was tested in 1995 and told I had Transverse Myelitis. I continued with nurse training etc and had very little sickness time with symptoms until I was finally diagnosed in 2004 (after my first bout of optic neuritis). I have relapsing remitting ms, although for many years it was very benign. The secret to ill health retirement is getting the medical info to back you up as HR and management know little about the disease and many don’t realise how debilitating fatigue can be.
Hope this helps.
mandyj
Hi,
I have SPMS but at the time I retired due to ill health it was not dx and as Mandy has said get all the back up you can as Occ Health dr’s are useless. I never went for it in the end as I just didn’t have the back up or fight left in me. I would follow Mandys advice and hoopefully you will get it. Wish you good luck.
Janet
x
That’s great ladies, Thankyou! X
Hi, yes I retired through ill health at 52. I had the support of my line manager GP and neuro. I was having to take a lot of time off of work and be driven home from work when my legs/balance and optic neuritis were so bad that I couldn’t get myself home. I was referred to Atos and they collected information/medical reports from above and decided that I should apply for ill health retirement.
Make sure you get the support from your manager. Atos had to ensure that all adaptations had been done at work to help me but to be honest there is nothing that can be done to help with working with optic neuritis, especially as I was a medical secretary.
I was awarded Tier 2 but like I said there was an awful lot of evidence collected and it was quite a long drawn out process but even though I would have preferred to have carried on working it is much easier not having to worry about getting to work and worrying about whether I would be fit to drive home.
Hope you get on ok and if you need any more info then please PM me.
Good luck
Shazzie xx
[quote=“mandyj”]
I retired from the nhs in dec 2011 on ill health due to ms. I was a full time district nurse team leader and had worked for the nhs for 18 years. I was awarded Tier 2. I had excellent medical documentation from my GP and ms nurse stating that the fatigue was so bad that they felt I could no longer work in any capacity. Occ health dr was useless. His report looked like I was as fit as a fiddle! I made a complaint about him for other reasons and got my GP to fill in the pensions form instead. I was never assessed by Atos (who decide what tier you get and inform the pensions agency about what they have decided) and started to receive my pension in the April of 2012. I first had neuro symptoms in 1994, the same year as I started in the nhs. I was tested in 1995 and told I had Transverse Myelitis. I continued with nurse training etc and had very little sickness time with symptoms until I was finally diagnosed in 2004 (after my first bout of optic neuritis). I have relapsing remitting ms, although for many years it was very benign. The secret to ill health retirement is getting the medical info to back you up as HR and management know little about the disease and many don’t realise how debilitating fatigue can be.
Hope this helps.
mandyj
[/quote] Bit of a general statement at the bottom regarding HR know little about the disease as my wife is a HR advisor in a rather large NHS foundation trust and i suffer with SPMS. So sometimes the HR and Mangement know everything they need to know about MS
1 Like
I was retired from the NHS on ill health back in 1997, not sure if things are different now buti had no problems, I can’t fault the occupational health department they suggested I go for ill health retirement. I went off sick late 96, had 6 months full pay then 6 months half and was then retired so all in all about a year. I
Sorry anon about the HR statement. I should not generalise. Apologies as I did not mean to offend anyone.xx
[quote=“mandyj”]
Sorry anon about the HR statement. I should not generalise. Apologies as I did not mean to offend anyone.xx
[/quote] No problem at all, i think me having MS has actually helped my wife deal with a couple of difficult cases where she works and helped the management understand MS a little better due to her understanding of the disease,
I am in gran ganaria and just been diagnosed I have a crises at the moment can’t feel my feet wobble on my legs and have A nub numb plaques found in my brain and on my spine after MRI and MRI with contrast to highlight the plaques. I have 1 month off sick already for fatigue and anxiety. I am a community matron/ manager . I drive around to see very vulnerable ill patients seeing acute illness diagnosing prescribing and treating plus managing decision making fo a team of staff , my concern is working full time with fatigue coping with any weakness in my body at that level.
HR has seen me struggle for some time prior to the diagnosis .i am 53 can retire at 60 would it be worth pursuing retiring through ill health I am currently been treat with high dose corticosteriods to alleviate my symptoms and will I presume begin to see neurologist once back home so my month of sick I’m sure will be extended . I still have to come to terms with my diagnosis this is all very new and overwhelming at the moment advise please thankyou
Sorry I’m finding your post difficult to understand, however, you might be better creating a new thread and asking your question.
You’ve tagged on to a very old thread from 2013. At the top of the page click on the box saying New Thread and away you go.