Attendance at ATOS Medical Examination

cit_k

Gemstar30 wrote: »

Hello everyone,
I have received a reply from ATOS following my email yesterday. The comments relating to the part about somebody being able to come with me into the assessment room is as follows:

"You have the right to be accompanied to your assessment; however, it should be noted that seating within the examination room may be limited. In which case, the Health Care Professional may refuse admission"

From that it still seems to be that the doctor can if he so wishes on the grounds that room may be limited, refuse for my husband to come in with me.

I specifically asked about him being with me in the assessment room, but they are saying the same thing as before - 'accompanied to your assessment' which can mean either help me to the assessment centre itself, but to wait in the waiting room or to the assessment itself. They have not answered the specific point.

Like everything else, I always feel that I have a fight on my hands. Is it worth pushing the matter or should I just accept what they say at the assessment for the sake of peace?

They also sent me a complaint form, but there is no need now to fill it in as I am still unsure who is right or wrong.

Thank you FTW, but that is a little over the top isn't it? Surely doing a secret recording is a bit far fetched. The next thing we know, we will be told of our rights before answering questions!
And besides which I have no idea how to do that even if I thought it necessary.

Thank you again for helping me

Gemma

No it is sound advice.

Remember though, do not tell them or let them see you are recording the assessment, they do not like it, they will stop the assessment and your benefit will be stopped.

I have been to several assessments, and on all occassions apart from the first assessment (where they did the wrong medical!) the assessors have lied on the report, so recording the assessment is vital to cover your own back if possible.

Of course, you may get a honest assessor, and it may have been a wasted recording, but if you dont - it will be very useful.

Its a horrible feeling to get a medical report from atos that is full of lies/contradictions etc.....

cit_k

healy wrote: »

That does not sound a credible reason/excuse to me. It would only require 3 chairs in the room and if they do not have a spare chair in the room I would imagine there would be spare chairs elsewhere in the centre.

It is a crazy reason to deny someone, and its not one I think they could get away with. After all, if there is not enough seating for that assessment, then all assessments in that room will be denied the right for someone to accompany the claimaint.

That is plain wrong.

Gemstar30

Thank you for those replies.

I still find it difficult to believe that secret recordings should be made to make sure that I am 'covered'.

I have never heard of such a thing. But you both seem so certain that it is for my own benefit.

I will have a word with my husband as he is more likely to know about how to do that.

I do understand your comment about the size of the room and agree that if they can't provide it for me, then everybody else will have the same problem. If it comes to it that I have to go for another medical, I will leave it to my husband to insist that he comes in with me.

I never realised how difficult and underhanded this simple medical could be! It is terrible, that people have to go to these lengths to ensure that they have a fair hearing. It makes me think that the whole thing is being run by the ex KGB.

Ok, it's a lot to take in, but at least I have a better idea of what I have to do.

Thanks everyone again

Gemma

healy

Gemstar30 wrote: »

Thank you,
Healy: I think what they are saying is that the size of the room may not be big enough to get an extra chair in. If I remember right, in my last medical there was a chair and a desk for the doctor and a chair facing the back of the computer screen as well as a bed sort of thing.

Skcoll: I don't know what they mean by it quite honestly. What I can say about your last point is that I did have difficulty getting my heavy jacket off because of the lack of movement to my arms. I asked the doctor to help me, but he just sat down and nothing more was said about it. When I received the medical report back, it said that I refused to co-operate with the physical assessment which wasn't true at all. I just could not remove my jacket without help which he didn't do.
It seems that there is no real answer to this, I will have to see what they say when I get there.

Thank you all for you kind help

Gemma

It still sounds like a feeble excuse as with a typical sized desk there is going to be room for 2 chairs opposite the Doctor/Nurse conducting the assessment.

I have never heard of anyone being refused having someone else attend the assessment with them so I don't think you need to worry much.

Gemstar30

healy wrote: »

It still sounds like a feeble excuse as with a typical sized desk there is going to be room for 2 chairs opposite the Doctor/Nurse conducting the assessment.

I have never heard of anyone being refused having someone else attend the assessment with them so I don't think you need to worry much.

Thank you, but my husband was denied access to the assessment with me in January last.
Hence the reason why I am asking if ATOS have this power or was it for another reason.
Now the answer I have received direct from ATOS in an email today is as I placed in my earlier letter.
They do seem to have this power, it all depends on the doctor, and if he thinks that there will be enough room. They are saying that I do not have the legal right to demand that my husband comes in with me. I do have the legal right for him to come to the assessment with me.

When it happened to me, I was very upset, but didn't want to make a fuss and didn't know what my rights were.

Thank you
Gemma

Gemstar30

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

Well, in my case, there would be one more, my electric wheelchair, see I bring my own so there would be no excuse for not having a chair for my carer!:)

Hello, I do like that and yes you are quite right.

Maybe that is the answer - anybody wanting to teach me how to use one?

Thanks
Gemma

FTW

Gemstar30 wrote: »

Thank you for those replies.

I still find it difficult to believe that secret recordings should be made to make sure that I am 'covered'.

I have never heard of such a thing. But you both seem so certain that it is for my own benefit.

I will have a word with my husband as he is more likely to know about how to do that.

Seriously. It's well worth taking this precaution and you should absolutely make the effort to do it. As I said before, you'll end up regretting it if you don't.

I've been through the Atos mill twice, and I recorded the second one, because my first one contained stacks of lies.

The second one did as well (I'm at tribunal stage now), so I prepared in advance for that.

Gemstar30 wrote: »

I never realised how difficult and underhanded this simple medical could be! It is terrible, that people have to go to these lengths to ensure that they have a fair hearing. It makes me think that the whole thing is being run by the ex KGB.

Yes, it is terrible - to think that a government appointee can lie at will, but that's the way it is these days.

That's the way it was with the last lot, and that's the way it'll continue to be with the ConDems, with no sign of improvement.

I'm hoping that so many people catch them out in their lies, until it becomes such common knowledge that it kills off the entire dishonest process.

Because if any government process needs to be stopped dead in its tracks, it's this one.