Horrific statistics have been released by The BMJ on the current state of health in this country being affected by austerity and benefit cuts (`welfare reforms') brought in by the ConDem Government.
Over 1,000 GPs responded to a nationwide survey by The BMJ which revealed…
• 94% of GPs say their workload has increased in the past year because of financial hardship among their patients
• 92% of GPs say that patients' debt has increased their workload in the past twelve months
• 77% of GPs in inner city areas say they have seen evidence of patients' health being harmed by reductions to their benefits
• 95% of GPs say that medical advice they supply to support patients in workplace capability assessments is `usually', `sometimes' or `often' disregarded by ATOS or the department of Work and Pensions.
While The BMJ survey was nationwide, a doctor in Salford confirmed that she had experienced nearly all of the findings in her own surgery.
"The workload has increased to a certain extent over the past twelve months" she said "We're in one of the most deprived areas of Salford and I'm seeing more patients with emotional distress, social distress and dislocation, and that has a knock-on effect on health in the long term. Certainly patients with mental health issues which can have an impact on general physical health."
The BMJ survey also confirms an official Salford Council report two years ago on the likely impacts of the ConDem Government's Welfare Reform Act. The report concluded that the `reforms' would result in "increased indebtedness; increased arrears of rent and Council Tax; increased use of high interest lenders and loan sharks; increased homelessness presentations and homes at risk of possession; fewer people with contents insurance; fewer people with savings; higher levels of depression and mental health problems." (see previous Salford Star article Horror Cuts Will Drive City Mental – click here).
Despite the evidence from GPs and the warnings of its own report, Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart, has gone ahead with proposals to slash the Council's Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service by £346,000 – just when it's needed most (see previous Salford Star article – click here).
Even a last minute challenge to the decision by three Labour councillors was rejected by the Council's Scrutiny Committee last week, despite the biggest and most complicated upheaval in welfare in Salford beginning, with the introduction of Universal Credits. And despite Council officers at the meeting admitting that "there will be gaps" in advice provision (see previous Salford Star article – click here).
The cut in Welfare and Debt Advice will increase the strain on GPs even more. The BMJ survey also revealed that GPs reported a rise in the numbers of patients affected by the Bedroom Tax – 68% of the doctors who responded said that the Bedroom Tax had increased their workload to some degree.
One London GP interviewed by Gareth Iacobucci for The BMJ told how the Bedroom Tax affects one of his patients who has an anxiety disorder and has coped "by withdrawing from the world, largely living on benefits and living in the flat that they grew up in that was their parents' home.
"The parents have since died, and for that person the thought of moving is far too difficult and has caused a lot of anxiety and stress" he added "The patient has had frequent visits to A&E, [and] to myself, and has had treatment from a psychologist and been on antidepressants as a result of the crisis that was induced by the coming of the Bedroom Tax."
The findings also indicate that people receiving benefits because of illness or disability are struggling to cope with cuts to their financial support and are turning to their GPs for support.
In the BMJ feature about the survey, Iacobucci wrote "Many doctors in our survey said that the ESA [Employment Support Allowance] had increased their workload in the past twelve months, after the coalition government introduced stricter criteria for receiving benefits in the Welfare Reform Act 2012.
"As well as being asked more often to provide medical information for their patients' Work Capability Assessments (WCAs), GPs are also being asked to help an increasing number of patients appeal against the removal of their benefits under the new system, which many believe has wrongly judged them as fit for work" he added "Alongside its survey The BMJ interviewed doctors, advisers, and patients at general practices in three towns and cities, who raised major concerns about the way the system was working."
In the survey, 91% of GPs said that the ESA had increased their workload to some degree in the past twelve months. Further evidence is provided by a Salford resident from Lower Kersal who is currently appealing an ATOS decision to remove him from disability benefits.
"After the ATOS decision my visits to the doctor have doubled as I have got to see him in person for sick notes for Income Support to get any money at all" he told the Salford Star "Previously I would just go to the surgery and pick up repeat prescriptions. I might also have to go for more tests as part of my appeal, so I'm helping to overload GPs and the hospitals."
Department for Work and Pensions statistics show that the number of appeals against WCA rulings that were subject to a tribunal hearing rose from 181,137 in 2011-12 to 327,961 in 2012-13. And a staggering 43% of decisions were overturned in favour of the claimant.
Yet, as the survey shows, 95% of GPs say that medical advice they supply to support patients in WCAs is `usually', `sometimes' or `often' disregarded by ATOS or the Department of Work and Pensions.
One GP in Middlesborough told The BMJ that because of all the benefit cuts he refers patients to a welfare rights adviser and an employment adviser at the rate of one a fortnight each… "It's as much as I refer to orthopaedics" he said.
The advisers are actually based at the GP's practice, such is the link between benefit cuts and health issues.
Meanwhile, in Salford, things can only get worse. With the already strained Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service being cut there won't be enough help to go around for those facing the fall out from benefit cuts. It will be the GPs who will be picking up the pieces of financially, emotionally, socially broken Salford.
*Read the full BMJ article - click here and click here
See also previous related Salford Star articles
* Salford Council's New Dickensian Tory Style DIY Welfare - click here
* Salford Men Have The Third Worst Life Expectancy in England - click here
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