Howden House And Terminal Cancer

[onewheeldave 22]

Dont you think giving statements and being involved in litigation is stressful? If he wants to make a complaint then he should use the channels that are there for that purpose. You are talking about abuse when the facts have not been established. Ysing the proper channels i.e ombudsman, quality care commission etc are all likely to be able to change policy so it doesnt happen to other people. It is what they are there for.

 

I disagree- often 'official' channels of complaint are long, time consuming and futile. This is most especially the case where council deptartments are concerned- they have complaint channels mainly due to the legal requirement of having one, and they are complicated because they know it puts people off.

 

Hence why I suggested a quick check with a solicitor to see if they think there's a case- ideally 'no win, no fee' and requiring minimal input from the family, as they have far better things to do with their time than take on a complaints procedure.

 

Being sued by solicitors tends to be far more effective in getting councils to take things seriously, than going through their 'official channels', which often leave the complainent feeling fobbed off, or, giving up due to the unecessary complexity of those procedures.

[MissJP 13]

How did you get on Vizzbucks? Did you get any answers?

 

x

[boyfriday 21]

I'm sorry, but we have not been told who had actually been advised regarding the poor chaps wishes?

 

Was the stated wish included with the application to Howden House for the pass?

 

That's a very good point.

 

The OP says

 

He recieved a letter from Howden House, regarding a Blue Badge parking Pass, and in the same envelope there was another letter addressed from Howden House to somewhere else, regarding this pass, and at the bottom it says Prognosis 6 months, so telling them my father in law has 6 months to live.

 

It appears the letter was one to a third party, which was placed in an envelope by someone at Howden House rather than someone at the hospital treating him.

[vizzbucks 10]

How did you get on Vizzbucks? Did you get any answers?

 

x

 

I've just been told that the letter he received wasn't addressed to my father in law, but to my mother in law, as she is entitled to a blue badge also (through her own health problems) and it was a joint claim for the badge

 

The reply she got from her doctors when she asked them, was that my father in law shouldn't have opened the letter, as it was not for him, but how many of us open our partners letters? i do, and my missus does.

 

As for legal advice, i'm in a union, and i've presented it to them, and they are going to get the unions solicitors to take a look at it.

 

I'm not sure of the response from Howden House, as i've not had time to see the Mother in law, because of work, but i will in the next few days.

[RiffRaff 10]

...was that my father in law shouldn't have opened the letter, as it was not for him, but how many of us open our partners letters? i do, and my missus does.

 

If mail is addressed to both of us, either of us will open.

If only one name on, we both leave it to the addressee to open.

It's not been "arranged" that way - in fact, I can't think of it ever being discussed - it's just "correct".

[boyfriday 21]

I've just been told that the letter he received wasn't addressed to my father in law, but to my mother in law, as she is entitled to a blue badge also (through her own health problems) and it was a joint claim for the badge

 

The reply she got from her doctors when she asked them, was that my father in law shouldn't have opened the letter, as it was not for him, but how many of us open our partners letters? i do, and my missus does.

 

As for legal advice, i'm in a union, and i've presented it to them, and they are going to get the unions solicitors to take a look at it.

 

I'm not sure of the response from Howden House, as i've not had time to see the Mother in law, because of work, but i will in the next few days.

 

I'm sympathetic with your father-in law's position vizzbucks, but Im not sure who your/his dissatisfaction is directed at.

 

Forgive me paraphrasing what you said in the OP, but it sounds like he asked his doctors not to tell him the prognosis regarding his illness?

 

He applied for a blue badge (presumably the council weren't aware of his preferences because he would have had no reason to tell them).

 

In supporting his claim for a blue badge, someone's been informed he has 6 months to live-I believe cancer sufferers don't automatically qualify by virtue of their illness.

 

Howden House have sent correspondence addressed to your mother in law including copies of correspondence from others relating to the claim (as I guess they're required to do from a disclosure point of view), your father in law's opened the letter and discovered his prognosis.

 

Personally I don't feel that this situation could have been avoided unless everyone in the loop had been informed of his wishes and he hadn't opened mail that wasn't addressed to him.

[Epic Fail 10]

Did the Mother-in-Law already know what the prognosis was then?

[S10 Landlord 10]

Make a formal compliant to John Mothersole at Sheffield City Council and maybe worth getting your local Councillor involved too. There are procedures in place for data disclosure and data protection in every organisation in the UK and someone who was dealing with the blue badge application has slipped out in complying.

[No User Name 10]

Make a formal compliant to John Mothersole at Sheffield City Council and maybe worth getting your local Councillor involved too. There are procedures in place for data disclosure and data protection in every organisation in the UK and someone who was dealing with the blue badge application has slipped out in complying.

 

Do they need to tell Mr Mothersole that he opened a letter not addressed to him, or do they conveniently miss that bit out?

 

For gods sake, this is all rather pathetic. Does he want to spend the last few months of his life dealing with solicitors, the Council etc? I certainly wouldnt. He needs to enjoy the time left.

Edited January 21, 2014 by No User Name

[iahmed 10]

I'm sure the op said that the second letter in question was enclosed in the letter addressed to the op's father - in - law.

 

I agree with the second point. If you go ahead with a legal battle it will take time because these things drag on for months before reaching a conclusion.

 

 

 

Do they need to tell Mr Mothersole that he opened a letter not addressed to him, or do they conveniently miss that bit out?

 

For gods sake, this is all rather pathetic. Does he want to spend the last few months of his life dealing with solicitors, the Council etc? I certainly wouldnt. He needs to enjoy the time left.

Edited January 21, 2014 by iahmed

[No User Name 10]

I'm sure the op said that the second letter in question was enclosed in the letter addressed to the op's father - in - law.

 

It was still addressed to someone else though. Perhaps in future they need to be separate, can see why it was done to save on postage.

 

The second part of my last post still stands.

[S10 Landlord 10]

Information about a sensitive subject in the same envelope addressed to someone else is not a clever move to save on postage. I do agree with your second point.

 

It was still addressed to someone else though. Perhaps in future they need to be separate, can see why it was done to save on postage.

 

The second part of my last post still stands.

 

---------- Post added 21-01-2014 at 16:51 ----------

 

The Council will drag the matter, because at the moment they are finding it difficult to process anything fast other than reducing staff and cutting back on public services.

 

I'm sure the op said that the second letter in question was enclosed in the letter addressed to the op's father - in - law.

 

I agree with the second point. If you go ahead with a legal battle it will take time because these things drag on for months before reaching a conclusion.