Medical Board - Post board flap/advice

[adampoo]

Good evening,

I apologise if this has been done to death. I have spent months reading all over the site and other sources to try and help calm me down.
I have been off work sick for a long time (mental health issues) and sat my Med Board recently.
It was a very strange and stressful day and afterwards I felt totally messed up after it (to put it nicely). I got recommended for discharge under 9.387 (no reserves).
Since the board I have absolutely crippled by anxiety.
I have no support from my unit or colleagues (not had the courage to tell people its too hard).
So im reaching out on here in relative anominity for advice.

For some reason I don't feel like this is the end (that I am getting discharged). The whole experience was horrible. It has left me feeling like I have done something wrong.

What will happen now? I have been seen by so many professionals over the years. I have signed paperwork and given it back to ROHT.

What has everyone else's experience of their FMB?

Thank you

 

[Richie1305]

Good evening,

I apologise if this has been done to death. I have spent months reading all over the site and other sources to try and help calm me down.
I have been off work sick for a long time (mental health issues) and sat my Med Board recently.
It was a very strange and stressful day and afterwards I felt totally messed up after it (to put it nicely). I got recommended for discharge under 9.387 (no reserves).
Since the board I have absolutely crippled by anxiety.
I have no support from my unit or colleagues (not had the courage to tell people its too hard).
So im reaching out on here in relative anominity for advice.

For some reason I don't feel like this is the end (that I am getting discharged). The whole experience was horrible. It has left me feeling like I have done something wrong.

What will happen now? I have been seen by so many professionals over the years. I have signed paperwork and given it back to ROHT.

What has everyone else's experience of their FMB?

Thank you

Were you on the board for mental health? if so mate it will more than likely be a med discharge. Have you been under DCMH at all? and been diagnosed?

 

[adampoo]

Yes I have had my med board and got recommended for discharge.

I have been under DCMH and been diagnosed.

 

[Uglyfatgit]

Yes I have had my med board and got recommended for discharge.

I have been under DCMH and been diagnosed.

Have you been assigned to a PRU?

 

[adampoo]

Yes I have

 

[Richie1305]

Yes I have

Ok mate. Next thing will be your discharge but you'll get your date well in advance (or should do) the only thing I will say is get ALL your med docs now and keep them, especially your diagnosis and your med board result that states its PTSD due to service. You will be contacted by the AFCS as you will get an initial claim under the AFCS Scheme. Then this will be reviewed at the 2 year point for further compensation, if still suffering with your mental health. Keep all your DCMH docs and everything that supports your claim as you'll need it for the 2 year interim to quote and compare to where your at then, and they will lose it, based on my, and others I know experiences!

When the time gets nearer to that point, shout up on here as lots of lads like myself who have gone post 56 years and had tribunals so can help out where we can. Good luck with it all mate I hope you get the help you need and get on the mend pal, its a long road but you'll get there

 

[pimpernel]

Ok mate. Next thing will be your discharge but you'll get your date well in advance (or should do) the only thing I will say is get ALL your med docs now and keep them, especially your diagnosis and your med board result that states its PTSD due to service. You will be contacted by the AFCS as you will get an initial claim under the AFCS Scheme. Then this will be reviewed at the 2 year point for further compensation, if still suffering with your mental health. Keep all your DCMH docs and everything that supports your claim as you'll need it for the 2 year interim to quote and compare to where your at then, and they will lose it, based on my, and others I know experiences!

When the time gets nearer to that point, shout up on here as lots of lads like myself who have gone post 56 years and had tribunals so can help out where we can. Good luck with it all mate I hope you get the help you need and get on the mend pal, its a long road but you'll get there

Totally agree, get all your medical documents and do make sure you have a complete paper trail. It's amazing how hard it is to get them once you are on the other side of the wire.
Very best wishes and do put some connections in place so you have a social/care/connect group to help support you when you are out.

 

[Richie1305]

Sorry 5 years not 56!! typo

 

[pimpernel]

Sorry 5 years not 56!! typo

You're forgiven. Good advice, thanks.
Mental Health care and a safe well ordered exit from the Army is a place where you really need help. HMF isn't exactly generous with it once your MOD 90 is handed in and you are outside the Barracks.

 

[adampoo]

Thank you for the advice. This has all been a very stressful experience (especially during Covid).

I have had no real guidance at all during the process (I wasn't sure what I was expecting to be honest).

So I sat my board and go told that I will be discharged under Para 9.387 (unable to rejoin, no reserve etc). The whole day seemed very surreal, but at least it is done. What happens with the med discharge paperwork now, whats next in the process? Im just trying to manage my anxiety about it all. I don't have much faith in the military system due to past failings. Im convinced they are going to see me off regarding my pension (Im less than a year away from my 22 year point).

Thank you all again.

 

[Richie1305]

Thank you for the advice. This has all been a very stressful experience (especially during Covid).

I have had no real guidance at all during the process (I wasn't sure what I was expecting to be honest).

So I sat my board and go told that I will be discharged under Para 9.387 (unable to rejoin, no reserve etc). The whole day seemed very surreal, but at least it is done. What happens with the med discharge paperwork now, whats next in the process? Im just trying to manage my anxiety about it all. I don't have much faith in the military system due to past failings. Im convinced they are going to see me off regarding my pension (Im less than a year away from my 22 year point).

Thank you all again.

Hi Mate,

They will give you a lump sum and you will receive an AFCS pension immediately. They cant see you off on that as its an automatic system so will be calculated and paid out.

The AFCS will give you an award as an initial payment for the PTSD which will be an interim payment as its reviewed at the 2 year point, just ensure all paperwork is collated by you, med docs, and everything you can copy and keep from the med centre on your medical history. DCMH docs as well mate, so that you can keep and quote on your next review. Not much else you can do for now mate as its 12 years till the next hurdle but keep at it and record all medical reviews, medication you take and all therapy you attend so that it can be submitted at the 2 year review.

Good luck with it mate

 

[Filthy_contract]

Ok mate. Next thing will be your discharge but you'll get your date well in advance (or should do) the only thing I will say is get ALL your med docs now and keep them, especially your diagnosis and your med board result that states its PTSD due to service. You will be contacted by the AFCS as you will get an initial claim under the AFCS Scheme. Then this will be reviewed at the 2 year point for further compensation, if still suffering with your mental health. Keep all your DCMH docs and everything that supports your claim as you'll need it for the 2 year interim to quote and compare to where your at then, and they will lose it, based on my, and others I know experiences!

When the time gets nearer to that point, shout up on here as lots of lads like myself who have gone post 56 years and had tribunals so can help out where we can. Good luck with it all mate I hope you get the help you need and get on the mend pal, its a long road but you'll get there

I take it that you are Army?

• Make sure you get your full entitlement of leave - ie salary before you are finally discharged (including several weeks for those on medical leave and resettlement) when your discharge date is calculated.
• Get a second opinion (I did and I was being robbed several weeks of paid leave from the Army led support unit - the RAF Station I was assigned to just prior to discharge recalculated it).
• Ensure that any remaining resettlement entitlement is carried over after your discharge, which allows you to draw on funds and support for a further two years. This is especially important at the moment when a lot of resettlement training is curtailed and if your condition stops you undertaking resettlement before discharge - that was my situation.
• You are also entitled to access to the medical and dental centres for 6 months after a medical discharge (Wellington Barracks were adamant it was not an entitlement; the RAF gave me chapter and verse of the JSP to show this entitlement - essential if you are undergoing ongoing treatment).
• My experience (medically discharged in 2019 after almost 30 years) is that the Army try to bundle people out the door asap; the RAF and RN exploit the same JSP rules to the full benefit of the person being discharged.
• You are entitled to a further 3 - 6 months in SFA after medical discharge; this can be extended up to 2 years, subject to availability. (No one has been chucked out of SFA since March 2020, due to the pandemic).
• Register with a civilian GP ASAP and ensure that ALL your medical docs are copied across to the NHS - absolutely vital if there is a War Pension or further Compensation case in the future as your GP will be asked to comment on your medical history. Keep hard copies of ALL medical records.

PM if you prefer.

 

[adampoo]

Thank you both so much for your replies. It sounds like I am talking to the right people.

I am Army, and I have read all over this website about the leave issues you state above. Thank you.

It already feels like they are trying to move me on (DCMH wise but not PRU wise). Since I have joined the PRU it has been a lot better in terms of support, before then I had nothing. I was pretty much left at home, didn't really get any support from my unit (but to be honest I don't know what they could have done either).

I think I have found the correct paperwork to request my med docs, so I will hand that in soon too.

Now I am just trying to pre-empt when my LDoS will be (just a rough idea). My FMB was just under a month ago.

Thank you again

 

[Filthy_contract]

Thank you both so much for your replies. It sounds like I am talking to the right people.

I am Army, and I have read all over this website about the leave issues you state above. Thank you.

It already feels like they are trying to move me on (DCMH wise but not PRU wise). Since I have joined the PRU it has been a lot better in terms of support, before then I had nothing. I was pretty much left at home, didn't really get any support from my unit (but to be honest I don't know what they could have done either).

I think I have found the correct paperwork to request my med docs, so I will hand that in soon too.

Now I am just trying to pre-empt when my LDoS will be (just a rough idea). My FMB was just under a month ago.

Thank you again

Good luck - the journey will be a lot better than you think!
ETA just as a metric, it was 9 months from FMB to LDoS for me - on full medical leave.

 

[adampoo]

Good luck - the journey will be a lot better than you think!
ETA just as a metric, it was 9 months from FMB to LDoS for me - on full medical leave.

I hope it is, the last 18 months have been very difficult. I find it difficult to trust certain elements of the system (DCMH, Occ Health), I feel like they have added to the anxiety that I suffer greatly.

Now I just want everything confirmed so that I can try and move on. I am still convinced I am going to get the rug pulled from under me any moment. I just don't trust these people.

I have read and re-read so many threads on here over the last 18 months and they have been far more useful than anything else.