Vindicated

Since we were moved from Farnham Hospital to Aldershot Centre for Health for Stacie's dental care, I have had nothing but problems with the NHS with regard to payment of the fees.  The whole time she was with Farnham Hospital, treatment was free - as it should be under the circumstances.  Upon changing to Aldershot, every time she went for a check up or a visit to the hygenist, I then received a letter from the NHS threatening us with a £100 fine for 'fraudulently' claiming for free dental treatment.

Each time I wrote a letter explaining our circumstances and the benefits that Stacie is entitled to and each time they cancelled the fine.  I tried to get to the bottom of why this kept happening and discovered she should be getting a different (higher) rate of ESA, so went through the rigmarole of re-applying (and the mega long forms it entails) and got that sorted.  Then the next time we visited the dentist, the same thing happened again.  I had a very unpleasant phone call with some man in the NHS department that deals with fines etc. who even had the gall to tell me that 'just because Stacie has Down's Syndrome, that doesn't entitle her to free medical treatment'....OK, I but I beg to differ!

So last year I then had to apply for an HC2 form which entitles her to free medical/dental care and free prescriptions.  This form ran out last month, so in order to prevent further 'fines', I re-applied.  I didn't get a new HC2 form for Stacie, what I did get was a letter saying that as she received the higher rate of ESA she is AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED TO FREE MEDICAL/DENTAL TREATMENT and there is no need for her to have an HC2 form.  I would like a photocopy of this letter to be shown to that phone operator,  rolled tightly and inserted where the sun doesn't shine!  It is wrong that the disabled and their carers should have to jump through hoops unnecessarily for something they are already entitled to, we have enough to worry about.

...And Yet...

I still got a penalty fine notice from the NHS regarding my daughter's visit to the hygenist.  Had a very unpleasant phone conversation with one of their operators who told me at one point 'Just because your daughter has Down's Syndrome doesn't meant she is entitled to free health care'.  I beg to differ...
Whizzed off a letter the same day, enclosing copies of her ESA letter and the new HC2 form and complaining strongly about this guy's attitude on the phone,  and got a letter back practically by return post saying they were closing this matter.  Wish I could count on that - we shall see next time.

Why is everything always a battle?

ESA/Income Support/Free Dental Care - Confusion

A while back we were told that my daughter had to stop getting her dental care at Farnham Special Dental Care Unit and move to Aldershot Health Centre.  This appeared to be an administrative decision more about catchment areas than whether or not people were getting the appropriate care.  Needless to say, the change caused endless problems, the first being my daughter's aversion to anything new and different.  The new dentist is perfectly capable and a lovely woman, but in my daughter's eyes, she is a stranger and no way deserves any cooperation whatsoever.  We have had two years of clenched teeth, tears, struggles and as a result, below par care which has nothing to do with the poor dentist's efforts.  Despite appealing to the NHS office who ordered this change, we are stuck with their decision - I am wondering how long it will take before my daughter accepts the new setting & staff.  It took years for her to relax and be comfortable at the previous hospital, so I guess we are in for a long haul.

Coinciding with this, I then had letters after each treatment session threatening me with a hefty fine for claiming free dental treatment that apparently my daughter was not entitled to.  Each time I wrote back explaining that she was entitled and asking why we had been sent these worrying letters.  I never got a completely satisfactory explanation, just told that they had no records of her being entitled.  So it was time to do a bit of investigation.

It was fruitless trying to get through to any kind of Benefits helpline - I found that as such, it does not exist any more.  Trying to get through to the Job Centre Plus or any other relevant office was pretty hopeless too.  So I phoned the Down's Syndrome Association and got through to a very helpful lady who pointed me in the right direction.

It would seem that with the various changes to Income Support that have been put in place by various governments over the past few years, at some point my daughter was put into the wrong grouping.  Me being totally trusting of bureaucracy (silly me!) never queried the name changes or amounts involved, assuming that they knew what they were doing.  It would seem that around about the same time we had to change hospitals for dental care, ESA was introduced and we lost our entitlement to free medical care. 

So now I have to fill in a very thick form to get my daughter re-assessed as it would seem that not only is she in the wrong grouping for medical care, she is also receiving less money than she should be.

Yet again I wonder why it always has to be a battle in order to get anything done correctly - I find the form filling in daunting and soul-destroying and the temptation to leave things as they are is strong.  I'm not going to though, I'll just have to bite the bullet and get on with it, clenching my teeth very much in the manner of Stacie in the dentist's chair!

Dentists

Going to the dentist is scary at the best of times, let alone when you don't really understand why this stranger is rooting around in your mouth making you uncomfortable and perhaps even causing you pain.

With the shortage of NHS dentists nowadays, it can be an expensive business keeping your child's teeth healthy. Check out whether there is a Special Care Dental Clinic in your area - around us there are two, one in Aldershot and one in Farnham Hospital. The staff are trained to be calm, reassuring, and to speak in terms that are easily understandable. They use gas and air for fillings and other treatments that might cause someone with special needs distress. They provide good advice and regular follow-up appointments. Best of all, the treatment is free.

It took me until my daughter was 19 to discover she was entitled to free dental treatment at one of these clinics. Until then, I had been paying full rates at a regular dentist and whenever I asked (fairly often!) if there was any cheaper alternative, I was told 'no'. Also, my daughter was getting progressively more and more frightened of going and reached the point where she would barely open her mouth for the dentist and cried and struggled if he did any more than just look at her teeth - she had been badly shaken up by a previous dentist removing what he thought was a baby tooth with minimum anaesthesia only to discover it was an adult tooth with full roots - it hurt. After two years of going to the Special Care Clinic, she is happy to go, cooperates fully and has healthy teeth.