My friend is disabled. Uni asking for GP letters costing £30 each Time she is ill
She fully disclosed her disability on application. She has an autoimmune condition so she takes immune suppressants. She picks up colds and other infections more frequently as a result. Her uni wants a letter from GP everytime she misses uni. This costs £30 each time. She is ill now and is really down about having to get another letter from the GP. There is a disability service but they are not very effective. Can anyone advise?
Does she have a disability coordinator? its totally out of order for the uni to do that if her condition is on record, once it's on record you dont need to prove it again. Get her to the disability office ASAP
Original post by CoolCavy
Does she have a disability coordinator? its totally out of order for the uni to do that if her condition is on record, once it's on record you dont need to prove it again. Get her to the disability office ASAP
I was signed up with Disability Services and I still had to pay for medical evidence.
Original post by Seamus123
I was signed up with Disability Services and I still had to pay for medical evidence.
Yeh you need to prove it initially (for which you might be charged - my psych doesnt charge but ik some that do) but each time you miss a lecture the uni shouldnt need evidence (i.e you having to pay for evidence ) as the evidence is already on your record, the fact that you have a certain condition and because of that you will have to miss uni sometimes
I wasn’t aware lecture attendance was monitored in any way whatsoever.
Original post by Andrew97
I wasn’t aware lecture attendance was monitored in any way whatsoever.
Some dont but mine does
you have to swipe in and everything and it's all logged electronically 
Apparently the reason they are so stringent is because international students were using the uni to get a VISA but then not actually attending the uni and instead working illegally
Original post by CoolCavy
Some dont but mine does you have to swipe in and everything and it's all logged electronically
Apparently the reason they are so stringent is because international students were using the uni to get a VISA but then not actually attending the uni and instead working illegally
you have to swipe in and everything and it's all logged electronically Apparently the reason they are so stringent is because international students were using the uni to get a VISA but then not actually attending the uni and instead working illegally
Ah, we have to swipe in. But nothing is done about it. I forget to swipe a lot and nothing has been mentioned to me.
Original post by Anonymous
She fully disclosed her disability on application. She has an autoimmune condition so she takes immune suppressants. She picks up colds and other infections more frequently as a result. Her uni wants a letter from GP everytime she misses uni. This costs £30 each time. She is ill now and is really down about having to get another letter from the GP. There is a disability service but they are not very effective. Can anyone advise?
It's times like these having a copy of photoshop comes in handy......
Original post by Anonymous
She fully disclosed her disability on application. She has an autoimmune condition so she takes immune suppressants. She picks up colds and other infections more frequently as a result. Her uni wants a letter from GP everytime she misses uni. This costs £30 each time. She is ill now and is really down about having to get another letter from the GP. There is a disability service but they are not very effective. Can anyone advise?
Firstly, assuming the same rules apply as for employers, they should not be asking for a letter unless she is off for more than 7 days.
But more importantly for her situation she should have an agreement arranged with her uni that she can take sick days as needed due to her chronic illness. Her uni legally needs to make reasonable adjustments for her disability. A reasonable adjustment in this case would be taking leave or working from home when she is unwell and unable to come into uni.
What I would do if I were her is get a note from GP saying something like she has a compromised immune system and as a result gets sick often. Because of that she will need to take time off more frequently than other students and they suggest it would be reasonable to allow her to take leave as needed for the benefit of her health.
I suggest she books an appointment and tells her GP about the issue and asks them to write a note suggesting she be given as many sick days as she needs.
It's simple stuff really and if they are incapable of working that out I suggest she emails up the chain until stuff gets done. She can cite the law on reasonable adjustments when she does.
She paid £30 just a few weeks ago to have a detailed form from the uni completed by her GP for reasonable adjustments. They knew from the application process that she had a condition which was treated with immune suppressants. There is a statement on the uni website about international students risking their visa if they do not produce medical evidence for absence. What is annoying is that my friend doesn't need a visa, and she is more prone due to the medication to pick up infections. She is also expected to get medical evidence while she is ill.
Yes, but they are not very supportive.
Original post by Tiger Rag
Has she talked to the disability services at university?
Yes, but they are not very supportive.
I understand exactly how your friend is feeling. I have a chronic immune disease and I’m on a tough immunosuppressive that I’m constantly ill. Especially in winter I catch colds and pneumonia all throughout the season. The university always want a letter every time I’m off ill, my academic advisor is understanding but the hub say I need to hand in a letter from the doctors. And my consultant is happy to do it for free but he’s getting annoyed that every two/three month, he constantly has to write a letter which is practically the same as my illness hasn’t changed and it never will
Original post by Nadia19962
I cunderstand exactly how your friend is feeling. I have a chronic immune disease and I’m on a tough immunosuppressive that I’m constantly ill. Especially in winter I catch colds and pneumonia all throughout the season. The university always want a letter every time I’m off ill, my academic advisor is understanding but the hub say I need to hand in a letter from the doctors. And my consultant is happy to do it for free but he’s getting annoyed that every two/three month, he constantly has to write a letter which is practically the same as my illness hasn’t changed and it never will
This is exactly my friend's situation. She fully disclosed her disability and treatment before they made her an offer. She is protected by the Equality Act 2010 but this appears to be in principle only. In practice, they treat her like any student who does not have immunosuppression. I will help her fight this, but there shouldn't be a fight to ensure a uni complies with legislation.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Dropping out twice
- DSA for mental health condition
- Loneliness, mental health and now failed a module, not sure what to do
- My friend might be getting extra time and i hate it.
- Mitigation circumstances reason
- How to tell my parents I may have ADHD?
- Concerned with GP proof of disability form
- I messed up uni and not sure what to do any ideas?
- Thoughts on support without diagnosis?
- Low university attendance
- Just got diagnosed with ADHD; what is the Student Finance process like?
- DSA barry bennett apple laptop
- How do I claim PIP (Personal Independence Payment) by post (and other advice)?
- What do i do about missing out on first year uni life?
- Part-time Distance-learning Maintenance Loan
- Durham Autism Support
- DSA for mental illness
- DSA assessment in two days! can I ask for this?
- DSA laptop
- Dsa evidence
