Unexpected Medical Discharge - what should I look out for

[Whenurhappy]

Hmm, went to the local doctors a few weeks ago over what I thought was a minor ailment; they sent to to consultants and then repatriated me back to the UK for further investigations. Upshot is that I have a potentially serious (and untreatable) health issue which is like to see me leave Post permanently and be discharged from the RAF rather quickly thereafter.

Not what I anticipated and I would welcome advice from PPruners of what to look out for, what to challenge etc as this process starts. I'm looked after (in an extremely loose sense) by Glasgow; gone are the days of lounging in OC PMS's office getting sage advice. I'm a member of FPS and will get in touch with them very shortly. I have two kids in boarding school and my planned remaining service would have seen one of them get through Varsity. Now that is unlikely to be the case. My wife has followed the flag for 20 years and now has to seek minimum wage work on return to the UK, as her professional qualifications and,experience are decades out of date.

[RubiC Cube]

Whenurhappy, Check your PMs, Rubic

[Old-Duffer]

A couple of things spring to mind.

First, is your illness service related or made worse by service and hence could be classed as 'service attributable'?

Second, might there be any circumstances in which you could/would continue to serve in a different branch/trade and with a reduced medical category.

Third, could the time be used by your wife to update her qualifications etc by taking training courses or beginning a career in a completely new area. There seem to be loads of adverts for teachers for example with paid training.

You mention being out of the loop but now might be the time to call in a few favours from 'mates in the know'. Whilst these will be elsewhere, they will probably be able to give you all sorts of valuable pointers.

Old Duffer

[Whenurhappy]

I'm in a digital post overseas - where there is good medical care available, but based on similar cases the RAF will withdraw me pdq and assign me to a holding post in the UK, ignoring I am under OPCON of another department.

Sadly the condition appears to be genetic and not due to service. During our last brief stint in the UK, my wife worked as a teaching assistant and enjoyed it - but also convinced her not to be a teacher! I nigh have to set myself up as a self -employed risk consultant, as I would now not pass a typical corporate medical. Bit I gather the Medical Board can take a long time to convene and reach a decision so I should exploit this.

[Pontius Navigator]

Contact the British Legion. They will offer advice and then help post-discharge with matters pertaining to medical or disability pensions.

[downsizer]

About 2 years ago I developed a medical condition that I feared could lead to a med discharge, in the end it didn't, but a couple of things came to light.

Once you get downgraded you'll get an employment review board and then the med board. They'll decide the disposal action (or not).

The main point to note however are the terms of your discharge. You can be medically discharged or you can be admin discharged for medical reasons. The latter being much cheaper and not attracting a medical pension and if you haven't passed an IP point, no pension, though I suspect you will have past that point. Quite how they decide I never fully pinned down but it seemed if it was service related you got a med discharge, if it was something you developed out with of service causes you got the admin discharge.

I may stil have some of the info I dug out. I'll check later.

Also AP1269 lists med conditions and how the RAF views them, look in that to see what it says about yours.

[High Average]

I had a Med Board last year. As a result I was permanently grounded (NCA WSOp). The outcome of the board was very much based upon my wishes. I wanted to remain within the RAF, albeit on a permanent ground tour and with lots of restrictions on movement and employment. The President of the Board was of the opinion that discharging me just because I could no longer fly was a ridiculous idea as it would waste 25 years of experience and thousand of flying hours. I am now on an 8 year ground tour. Not everyones cup of tea I know, but at least the money is the same as when I was flying, subject to remaining in ground tours which have the Fg Pay marker on them. Best of luck for the future.

[Big Unit Specialist]

Check your pm s

BUS

[Wensleydale]

Downsizer.... a medical discharge forces you to leave the service on medical grounds, full stop. If, for example, you are aircrew and a downgrade in medical cat means that you can no longer fulfil aircrew duties then you may be offered service in another branch which has lower medical grading. However, should you be offered another branch but do not wish to fulfil it then you will be offered an admin discharge. (Or at least that was the case some 10 years ago when I had a med cat issue). In this case, the pension was the same as that for the medical discharge. I found the medical branch very fair and supportive during my medical recat at CME - they are open and honest with you and explain the options at every step of the way.

[charliegolf]

PM sent.

CG

[downsizer]

Wensleydale

That may have been the case 10 years ago but that was not the advice the RAF medical staff, RBL, and FPS gave me 2 years ago. Nor does it tally with the pension documentation I read.

Please don't think I'm calling BS on you, I'm not. It's just your info is what I thought to be the case and on digging transpired it wasn't. At least nowadays anyway.

[downsizer]

Here is an extract from some of my correspondence with the FPS

If they decide to medically discharge you, what you get depends upon, for AFPS 75 members, your rank for pension and your length of service and, for AFPS 05 members, your length of service, final pensionable salary and the Tier they put you in.

If they administratively discharge you for not meeting medical standards you would only get an AFPS 75 pension paid straight away if you had reached the Immediate Pension Point. AFPS 05 members would get a preserved pension but may get an EDP if they had reached the 18/40 point.

[aw ditor]

When.

Officers Association as well as the P. Soc. can be very helpful. They have a Website.

A.D.

[Just This Once...]

I may be in a similar situation and I think the extract above is now out of date due to the introduction of AFPS15.

[Union Jack]

I can't add to the light blue wisdom which others have been kind enough to provide, so I'll only say that I am very sorry to hear your unwelcome news mid-tour, and hope that things turn out a lot better than currently may seem to be the case.

If and when necessary, investigate at headmaster/mistress level whether there any scholarships or bursaries available which might offset the potential loss of educational allowances.

Also, don't underestimate the value of your presumed language qualification in the outside world, and keep us posted in your usual very interesting style.:ok:

Jack

[downsizer]

JTO

It could be, my issue predated the '15 pension. However as the OP will have served primarily under '75 (or '05) terms it shouldn't be massively different.

And I re-iterate that two years ago there were significant financial differences between a med discharge and an admin discharge for med reasons. Just be aware, that's all :ok:

[Top Bunk Tester]

If you are in receipt of flying pay then try to hang the discharge out until the 12 month from downgrading point, this is the point you will lose it.

It is traumatic to be MD'd at short notice, but however traumatised you feel make sure you:

Get a full unedited copy of your medical notes.

If you disagree with the assessment of your illness/disability that you challenge this withing 6 months of discharge, anytime after this and you cannot challenge the attributable percentage which has far reaching tax implications for the rest of your life. RBL/PS can advise further.

Always always appeal your level of disability and also bring in any other pertinent ailments and injuries. Your level of war pension (yes I know the term has now changed, as have the criteria) relies on this.

Above all do not let them shaft you, even if you have not been in the rank for two years you are still entitled to that ranks pension, remember it's THEM kicking YOU out, not vice versa.

Good luck.

TBT

[Wander00]

Sorry to hear your news - good luck - and remember there is only one person fighting your corner, but there is support around, FPS, RBL, Ben Fund, RAFA

[Whenurhappy]

Thanks for the advice and anecdotes

For some reason I can't open PMs on my phone, but will tackle these later. Sadly I'm not in receipt of flying pay, but at least that's not something I'll lose. Luckily I'm on AFPS 75. We've overseas in 4 separate locations on and off since 2001 (yes, livin' the dream) so my knowledge of what happens these days is a little dated. But I understand that the process takes some time and for once I'll put me and my family first. And use this time - using ELCs, resettlement etc. We have a nice house (though rented out until end of 2016), and the pension is pretty good.

But I do feel (already) the impending departure from a fantastic job (and with some, ahem, linguistic skills) and from the Service with trepedation. Settling down in a small village where front page news is the ongoing argument about council funding of hanging baskets will take some adjustment, as well as not being the 'go to' man in my locus. It has just occured to me I have almost no friends outside the Service (apart from former colleagues).

Apparently RAFBF can help with school fees etc, so that's a relief. Perhaps I've been a bit dramatic, but having confront mortality isn't ever going to be easy.

[Maxibon]

For what it's worth, I can only echo what TBT said. I was medically grounded and out in a relatively quick time, albeit in the 90s. I had no records of my med docs and only found out how I was lied to when I was given my med docs for my Army medical t'other year.

[glad rag]

I can add nothing to the sage advise given above Whenurhappy, but would nonetheless like to add my best wishes to yourself and family in what must be a trying time.

[Pontius Navigator]

WUH, medium cog in large wheel to broken axle on supermarket trolley?

No need. There are plenty of organizations you could join that can use your skills, give you focus, and ease your transition. Some will be more demanding than others: Rotary, Lions, M-word, etc. Rotary has voluntary promotion a lower levels such as club and district. Then you have the opportunity for international service. In my case I managed 4 weeks resettlement in India on UK rates :).

[Heathrow Harry]

you clearly have skills and there is a terrible shortage of ANY skills in the UK these days - you should be able to manage a transition to consulting - and then you can tailor the work load to your medical condition

If you don't get it as part of the package its worth spending a few quid on professional advice - preferably from someone who works in your line. Make a list of outside outfits you 've worked with while in the RAF - and check them out. Start reading the trade journals for your speciality etc and get up to speed with the outside world - just knowing the current issues and jargon is half the battle.

As said Mrs Happy should do the same - she has a wealth of experinece in strange places - she doesn't want to be a "When I......" but she can retrain or start her own business

God knows - it seems that the ability to read, write, speak, and turn up on time is beyond 50% of the UK workforce so there are surely opportunities for you and Mrs H

Good luck :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

HH said speak. We had an ex Jolly give an inspirational talk to a number of us barely worth inspiring. His fee was cool £3,000.

Mrs WUH also has that potential - packing for overseas, how I leant to love sheeps' eyes , how I never travelled without my toilet roll and a universal plug. etc etc

For you, try talking on cruise ships.

[Wander00]

Mrs W is even signed up to teach crochet on cruise ships, all expenses paid

[Whenurhappy]

Mrs W is even signed up to teach crochet on cruise ships, all expenses paid

My wife could do talks along the lines of 'how not to look frumpy when wearing body armour' or 'how to alight elegantly from an armoured car'.


On a slightly more serious note, I've encountered an interesting medico-legal point: when I was referred back to the UK by Healix, the NHS routinely sent notes to the RAF. Where else would a patient automatically has 'suggested diagnoses' sent to their employer? Patient confidentiality? How did I learn of this? I happened to see several letters in the sheaf of notes when I went for yet another ECG on Monday. The letters were addressed to me via RAF High Wycombe. The letters, of course, were unlikely to have ever reached me, but they have clearly been read at High Wycombe, hence the who medical board business.

[Onceapilot]

Whenurhappy,

Best wishes with your med! I think that UK Mil has a higher calling upon your body and Soul than patient confidentiality, I'm afraid. That said, my experience has been that, you can get a positive slant on your position if you can get the highest possible medic on your side and, you fight for a continuation in the Service. You might even be able to offer a continuation in Service that takes you past an immediate pension point!? Do not be shy, if you can go to the Air Member for Personel with a positive case, you might do far better than just letting a decision be made. Do not bank on it though and, find out all the background so that if you are mistreated, you have the ammo for a redress of complaint.....which might take you past an IPP in extremis!:ok:

OAP

[fincastle84]

Please make sure that you contact RAFA asap. In conjunction with the RAFBF they are able to provide expert advice about all of your concerns & will also be able to provide excellent support for your family.

https://www.rafa.org.uk/

Wishing you the very best.

[teeteringhead]

I knew a couple who did a regular (long) summer stint in Normandy for a holiday company.

She took people around the Bayeux Tapestry, while he did the Invasion beaches. All found for - IIRC - about 3 months each year, and a tidy pocketful of Euros too!

[Scribbly]

Whenurhappy,

Please can you empty your inbox so I can send you a PM?

Thank you

[Whenurhappy]

Thanks for all the replies - Inbox now emptied.

NZWP