I don't have a problem with psyche assessments, I just have a problem that it was coming from the insurance company vice the doctors. It doesn't take much to get me on my soapbox when it comes to insurance in the U.S. these days. Sorry for
the rant!

Hi Sahuro. My consultant hasn't raised any issues re. my psychological state but the insurance company (for income protection not medical insurance) physio did when I saw her before I was diagnosed. She concluded that I needed to be 'consistently reassured by everyone involved in [my] case that there is no serious underlying pathology and encouraged to increase [my] function towards [my] previous levels.' The consultant who diagnosed me said that I need either ADR or fusion and won't get back to work without surgery (and doesn't have a problem with me having either from a psych point of view - for that matter my GP said in the appeal letter to the insurer that she thought I was sound and had taken a positive attitude to taking control of my back problems) so it just goes to show how wrong these things can be when you've got a physio who doesn't perform a proper exam, wouldn't be able to find the problem even if she did and bases the psych assessment wholly on the assumption that I'm a skiving whiney neurotic because my pain hasn't gotten better after all the different treatments I've tried. The insurance co have sent the surgeon's reports back to the physio for her opinion and said that they don't think that the diagnosis on it's own counts for much because all surgeon's want to do is find a reason to cut people open.

I guess it doesn't take much to get me on my soapbox when it comes to insurance in the UK these days!

lol! Hmm, I think I can empathize! Seem's like the insurance company is not very professional if they actually made that statement "they don't think that the diagnosis on it's own counts for much because all surgeon's want to do is find a reason to cut people open"

I would think that statement alone would get your foot in the door to speak to someone at a higher level in the insurance company. But, I have thought and been wrong before.

It's unbelievable isn't it? But it gets better. It wasn't me she said that to. It was my boss. It seems they had a blazing row when my boss rang up to find out what was going (admittedly after several weeks of being asked to by me!). The irony is that the best description I can think of is they're a law unto themselves - want to guess what I do for a living?

Gillian: I only just had a chance to log in and read your post: I wouldn't trust any doctor or psychologist or whatever hired by an insurance company as an "independent examiner." These are people who literally sell their professional licenses to do the bidding of the insurance companies. What did this person base the evaluation on--interview? psych tests? I don't know enough about the British system--but if you were in the U.S., I would suggest getting an evaluation by your own psychologist--and a lawyer.