ill health retirement
ill health retirement I would like some advice from anyone who has taken early retirement on ill health grounds.
i am 51 years old and a senior nursing sister. i returned to work 4 weeks ago after being off for 6 months. i find that i just can’t cope with the patients. I can’t stand to see them ill or dying. only last week a newly diagnosed cancer patient broke down and needed me to comfort her. I wanted to run away, i felt sick. when i was comforting her, all i could think of was it should be me being comforted, which is silly because i have had plenty of comfort from my family. i go home from work in tears and feel that working on a medical ward, cancer is ‘in my face’ every day and it will make it difficult for me to come to terms with my own experience.
In April, initially, it was thought i had DCIS but after WLE i was diagnosed with grade 2 invasive breast cancer. i then had to have a total ANC and thankfully, the nodes were all clear. Following 4 weeks of radiotherapy i am now on tamoxifen.
The tamoxifen gives me bad sweats and pains in my feet and ankles. My affected breast is still tender and swollen and i don’t know if that is lymphoedema. my arm is still sore and i know that i would have to be careful at work, ‘moving and handling’ patients to help prevent lymphoedema.
Having said all that , does anyone know how i can finish work on ill health grounds?
Many thanks,
Jenna x
Hi Jenna
I’m sorry that you are having such a tough time emotionally and physically at work.
I also work in the NHS. I have been unable to go back to my original community nursing job and now work in an office based role which is so much less stressful both emotionally and physically.
I’m unsure whether you want early retirement because of where you are working or if you would still be happy to work but in a less demanding area. I know I could not and still do not want patient contact - it is too emotionally draining. Remember, you are covered under the DDA legislation so your employer needs to make adjustments so that your work is suitable for you and your health needs - physically and emotionally or you can be redeployed into a role more suitable
I would recommend you firstly go back to occupational health and be assessed to see if you are fit to be doing the job you are doing.
Also, getyour manager, HR and your union involved.
I was told by my occ health doc that they are reluctant to give early medical retirement on primary diagnosis and I did not want to be forced into retirement (I’m 44) anyway. I wanted to be redeployed. and my managers have been very supportive but I recognise I am lucky with my managers.
I am not sure if what I was told about early retirement by this occ health doc is is true or not but I think that is beside the point at present. To me it sounds as if you are not well enough to work in your old role at present and you need to seek help from your manager, occ health, HR and your union before you make yourself ill. It does not seem your management system has taken into account what you have been through and this is wrong. They need to address your needs not their need for a working body.
I’m not sure whether you really want to retire as that is such a big decision at your age. (not meant to be patronising) I obviously don’t know your circumstances but don’t be forced into it if there is another role you could fill that would meet your needs and not be so stressful.
Whatever you decide you need to see occ health first.
Wishing you the best
Kate
early retirement I took ill health retirement from the NHS. I had a grade 3 tumour with multiple positive nodes and after treatment was completed I could not cope emotionally or physically with my job. I was a radiographer but my cancer was misdiagnosed for nealy a year and I felt that I had lost all faith in the NHS. It was stressful applying for early retirement and it took 2 years to be sorted out. I was 46 when I finally retired.Apart from the cancer I have reduced movement in my affected arm and lymphodema which made my previous job very difficult. I dont remember being offered redeployment. From my experience and others that i know of, the NHS is one of the least sympathetic of employers towards early retirement and you have to be prepared for a long wait. It all depends on whether occupational health support you or not. I had their support and they dealt with most of the process for me.
If you decide to go ahead Good luck, I haven’t regretted my decision and think that is was worth the trouble.
Jakey
return to work I read your post with interest as I am 50yrs old, a junior ward sister and due to return to work in the next few months and I am dreading it. I keep thinking that it is so stupid of me to be scared about returning to work. During my chemo I was not going to return to nursing at all. I am hoping to go back on half my previous hours and then wait and see how it goes. I think you need to put yourself first and whilst I know what the health service is like at the present, I still think that perhaps you could talk to HR and your manager. OH could also guide you depending on what is available. I hope you do learn to cope and achieve what you want.