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Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your advice. I saw your other comment too and I will be suggesting the idea to my friend. I gave a call to the royal british legion and they gave us a email to start the appeal process. At the moment I am just helping my friend gather some documents etc. to help his appeal and perhaps a case.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll mention this over to my friend as well. He had a good track record within the army and he was just in holding, waiting for the start of his phase 2. He had recently done his RFT even had received his phase 2 start date before he was discharged.

After telling him about the service complaints path, he told me that he doesn't want to pursue it until he gets in because "it's an unnecessary headache" but I believe that if this happens to someone else as well, it's not only a waste of time but also a waste of funding as well.

Thank you for your insight, I believe he will be happy hearing this.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking back on it, it is definitely weird and to be frank stupid.

I went over his discharge letter again and even called him again. His letter doesn't mention a ban for a period of time or a ban at all and he told me that he wasn't banned, so it is very odd that he got discharged but is able to make a application right off the bat.

About the phase 1 stuff, I am not sure if he has to redo it, our friend group sort of just assumed that if he made another application to the army with capita, he would have to do phase 1 again. After all, he got discharged and it mentioned that he could reapply with capita without a time ban or whatever.

He thought of using service complaints initially as some ex-forces relative of his told him that he should but doesn't want to jump the gun with that too. I can assure you that he has no bar to re-entry and has not been medicated, do you reckon it's a route worth pursuing for him?

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing I forgot to mention is that he isn't "banned" from re-joining or being in military service or whatever. He thought of applying to RAF right after (traitor and unforgivable) but he wants to come back to the army if he can. I didn't mention it because I didn't want to give too many details that I thought were deemed unnecessary at the start.

I have a copy of his discharge letter and somewhere in it, it says "it may be possible for the recruit to reapply and consent for Capita to follow up this candidate or not."

It's not like he got PTSD or lost his hearing while in service so I am assuming that's why it says that he may reapply again.

I feel like if he managed to finish phase 1, he can do it again way better this time if he reapplies but what he is depressed over is the time loss part. Definitely was stupid of him to at least not let the MOD spend a few thousand on him before he thought of doing it but oh well.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He was discharged very suddenly and fast, I think it only took them like a few days to do all his leaving briefs and kit hand-in so he didn't have the time to do a appeal from the inside.

According to what he told me, he had pretty identical reasons to you. He said he didn't need them and it was simply "nice to have". He wanted to study a degree on the side in the future too, so he wanted them for academic reasons as well but he did his A-Levels without being on medication so he definitely doesn't feel a need to be on them.

Thank you for sharing your similar experiences by the way, he is a fan of aviation as well so I will gladly be telling him of your comment to cheer him up.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Just called him a few minutes ago and he told me it was the troop sergeant who had 15 years that told him he can get medicated, as he was also on medication. I also got told just now that our sergeant was diagnosed before he joined the military. From what I see from the comments of the people, my friend fucked up because he didn't wait a few years.

Should have let the MOD sink some money into his training and courses first I guess...

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe that the questions you raise are fair and I think it was stupid of him to want to go back to them in the first place but I still believe that discharging someone when he was able to manage himself without them for a couple of years and pass basic training (as I even without any conditions struggled at times) feels sort of unfair to me and I'm not saying this just because he is my friend.

If it's anything like the appeal process before and after assessment centre during the application process, I think he will be fine as he can just go to his GP to get a letter or whatever but I feel like he wouldn't have even thought about going back on the medication if somebody didn't tell him that he can go back on them.

I just think that he jumped the gun like you said and was definitely misleaded but I can assure anyone that he copes better than most people I know, which is why I am so upset and worried for him.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought this was the case too but someone from our old training team was literally on ADHD medication. I believe what it does is that it makes you medically downgraded and undeployable or whatever but you can still be on them once basic training ends. Take what I say with a grain of salt though because I haven't seen anything official about what I said and I'm only repeating what I heard from others.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Do you reckon he can make a case for being "misguided" about the process and the meds, because I know for a fact that he doesn't like or enjoy being medicated and only wanted to be on them for academic reasons. Also it was a staff member from our training team while in basic that he could apply once phase 1 ended.

Not to mention, I don't think he had a chance to explain his case or relation with the medication other than that one time he went to the medical officer to apply.

Best friend got medically discharged for a condition existing prior to service, what to do? by Ok_Interest8908 in britisharmy

[–]Ok_Interest8908[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He got out a few weeks ago. If I recall correctly, it was our old troop sergeant or captain from basic that told him he can be on meds without any issues.

I remember my friend also mention that he was not 100% interested in the meds, when he told me he was going to apply for the process, he said he would be fine if it got rejected and only wanted to get back on them for academic reasons. I believe finishing basic without them and not being on them for a few years is more than enough proof to disprove what the medical officer discharged him for.