Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

Originally Posted by sicknotethefirst
The approved health care professionals' (HCPs) role is to carry out an assessment of the functional effects of the customer's disabling condition, and to utilise the information gathered to provide the decision maker with an impartial and independent assessment.
What specific disability analysis training do doctors, nurses and physiotherapists receive over and above their general medical training?

Before working for Atos Healthcare, healthcare professionals must have at least 3 years’ post-registration experience across a wide range of specialities, and this must include some generalist training. All employees are provided with additional, comprehensive training specific to disability analysis. For the Work Capability Assessment, this includes an 8 day course for all doctors and a 17 day course for nurses and physiotherapists.
Training of healthcare professionals can be considered in three distinct areas:

1. Generic training
2. Training to undertake benefit-specific assessments
3. Scrutiny and file work training

Now I have a question…


Mr X has had a quadruple bypass leaving him with left ventricular failure to those who don’t know (heart failure) and later develops type 2 diabetes which then complicates matters even more.

Mr Y who has had a single bypass with no other complications.


Mr Z who was born with Spina bifida (Almost all patients with Spina Bifida will require lifelong antibiotics to prevent infection. Approximately 70% of all spina bifida patients will have to have some form of drug therapy later in life to try to control their bladder over-activity, and approximately 70% will have to practice clean intermittent catheterisation on a lifelong basis)


Mr XX Who through an accident at work lost the use of the right side of his body.


Now all these people send in their filled out ESA50 which is then scrutinised by a basic nurse with no additional qualifications except a 17 day disability analysis course provided by Atos.
How is it that a basic nurse is able to learn so much about a person’s ability when they have only had an additional 17 days training? Bearing in mind the different complications that all illnesses may carry, and then make a recommendation about what they believe?



I would like a specific answer and not something copied from the Atos website.

Originally Posted by Atos Healthcare company representative
Hi sicknotethefirst All the HCPs who perform scrutiny for ESA are approved Disability Analysts who have received additional specific training and approval from DWP in the scrutiny/filework processes. It is worth mentioning that while all HCPs will meet the minimum requirements as described above, many have considerably more experience and additional qualifications. The role of the Atos HCP, whether at filework or face-to-face assessment, is to look at the functional effects of an individual’s medical conditions. They do this by reviewing the information in the individual’s ESA50 form, along with any other information that may be present (or which they request from the individual’s GP, for example). They will then advise if there is a need for a face-to-face assessment, or in other cases – where there is sufficient evidence and in accordance with DWP procedures – offer advice to the Decision Maker at the filework stage.

sicknotethefirst wrote: »

If I understand you correctly what your saying is that all HCP's have enough qualifications to understand all illnesses and the their effects? regardless to how complicated this maybe? In your words you stated" many have considerably more experience and additional qualifications." I take it that this doesn't mean 'ALL'


Are you saying that if they do not have enough information they 'WILL' seek more information from the claimants GP?

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi sicknotethefirst

Could you clarify your question please? Work capability assessments have been happening across Britain since ESA was introduced. If you are referring to assessment for ESA from IB these are also happening across Britain, but you would need to speak to DWP about their referral process and when you would be referred to us.

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi damo24

Sorry for the delay in responding to you. Advice given in the ESA85 should be justified, but other parts of the report may form the justification. The page you have copied needs to be viewed in the context of being one page of many.

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

I disagree Andrea... if this thread helps one person you should also consider how many it damages or puts off others helping... it also will add to the problems many face.. something that may well be invisible to staff here. I was helping people day in day out as example on this site but really just lost my mojo when I felt I would spend my time here trying to deal with a PR agent who did not share my desire to help people here many of whom are vulnerable. I'm only popping on out of immense sense of guilt feeling I'm letting people down.. I cringe when I see that more private requests for assistance have gone unanswered by me due to absence. But let's not beat about the bush.. it is a PR agent... hence the PR responses rather than helpful responses. This is about ATOS HC trying to improve its public persona... not about helping customers. Difficult questions are evaded... ATOS HC can't possibly fail to follow procedure etc... attempts to get people off the thread with their issues if they're politically difficult... contact out CR department and discuss matters. My own questions took over a year to see a response... a full reply of any use to me is something I long since gave up on. In my case of course too... the agent wanted me to take my specific and relevant but non personalised questions into a private arena with ATOS HC CR (to discuss my case problems with them) which would have been of no value to me... or any other customer reading here. Surely the warning bells should have been sounding like mad when the agent here said ATOS HC played no role in the decision making process regarding ESA... something that a vulnerable customer (many whom suffer cognitive failings) could interpret to mean their benefits would not be affected by any of their dealings with ATOS HC... something that had to be leaped on before it could do any damage to readers here. I come here to help claimants... not combat PR trickery and undo the damage that causes.

I despair that MSE in admin any way feel this thread has been overall benefit to so-called ATOS customers. You must have one heck of a different evaluation to I. I can only hope in time you'll get sufficient data to change that view and do the right thing... and let disabled and sick people get on with the difficulty of day to day life and needing advice about benefits from people who actually may desire to invest some effort in their wellbeing rather than dismissal.

Sorry for my strong views... but I do feel they are exceptionally well founded. And as someone who has had at every assessment with ATOS their recommendation that I meet Support group criteria I can also add my views do not come from any underlying history of failing the WCA... I passed all 3 times.

speedfreek1000 wrote: »

Yes but look at the image of MSE users ATOS can now claim on their website

http://blog.atoshealthcare.com/2012/11/online-engagement-why-atos-healthcare-is-beginning-to-work-with-forums-and-online-communities/

:money: