Illness benefit procedures?

Hi,
I have been on illness benefit for nearly 2 months now with depression amongst other issues. Upon my last visit my doctor gave me a letter for a work giving me leave until the 27th of October, along with stating I would not need to see him until that date either and we will re-assess then.
Today I got a phone call to say I have to come in earlier for another appointment with a new doctor and will receive no further certs until I do. I was caught quite unaware by the call and didn't have time to question much but even the receptionist questioned me with "you've been on the certs a long time now ya know... do you feel you could go back to work in the next few days"... I stammered out something of an answer explaining the situation I was in before I realized I'm not discussing this with the receptionist.
My appointment is for tomorrow and along with medical issues ill be bringing up this mishap too... Just wondering if anyone has had similar issues or any experience of the situation as its all quite new to me. Cheers.

Hi LeoM,

it seems a bit odd seeing as he gave you a letter up to 27th Oct. With the weekly or monthly illness benefit forms a doctor is supposed to examine you and sign the form and you send it off yourself to the Illness Benefit section in Dept of Social Protection. Depending on a person's illness a doctor might not drag him in every week for an examination but I remember from my youth, an amputee neighbour calling into the doctor every week for a cert!

When you attend tomorrow, query your letter up to 27th Oct. Sometimes Doctors give unrealistic and inaccurate return to work letters also. Once, on hospital discharge after major surgery, I was given a return to work date which was 3 weeks too early. As you are genuinely ill you have nothing to fear from this new doctor. It should be just a matter of him signing an illness benefit form and you posting it away.

I take it that these doctors are your own business and nothing to do with your employer?

Hey, thanks for the info, yes this is a private doctor.