DWP, Medicals

Oldernotwiser

cit_k wrote: »

Not all the doctors or nurses would be that happy to reveal their qualifications.

Why on earth should they? Did you carry your GCSE certificates to work with you?

seven-day-weekend

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why on earth should they? Did you carry your GCSE certificates to work with you?

Exactly. Some people on here have really unrealistic expectations. I would expect the professional who conducted the assessment to have appropriate qualifications - they wouldn't ask a bricklayer or shop asistant to do it, now would they?

If it was me doing the assessment I would not expect my qualifications and suitability to carry out the task to be queried and would be quite annoyed if they were.

FTW

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Such as ? Are they actual LIES? Or only how the claimant has interpreted what was said?

(For example, I have just read on another forum where someone said there were lies on her report because the Dr had said she could attend the medical alone. She said she only attended it alone as there was no-one to come with her. She said she wished to be accompanied. However....she DID attend it alone, this is not lies!).

Erm, yes - they are actual lies. Not misrepresentations, but lies.

One passage stating 'has no problem sleeping', when I told him completely the opposite and that my sleep pattern was all over the place. The same thing is said about my appetite.

'Can read novels'. He never even asked me about novels, and if he had, I would have told him specifically I don't read novels by choice.

So, there are three of them.

FTW

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why on earth should they? Did you carry your GCSE certificates to work with you?

The 'doctor' (tee hee) at the first of my two assessments discussed his qualifications for the first five minutes - even though I never prompted him to do so.

It's cause for alarm when a doctor spontaneously starts going on about how qualified he is.

However, that's the complete opposite with the doctor at my second assessment - the DWP are hellbent on not telling me what this guy's expertise in mental health is.

Strange that, considering the same doctor (who is actually a serving GP - I must be one of the lucky ones!) is listed on his own practice website as being a specialist in diabetes. So, he shouldn't have a problem with specifying his experience/expertise in mental conditions - unless he has none.

Oldernotwiser

FTW wrote: »

The 'doctor' (tee hee) at the first of my two assessments discussed his qualifications for the first five minutes - even though I never prompted him to do so.

It's cause for alarm when a doctor spontaneously starts going on about how qualified he is.

However, that's the complete opposite with the doctor at my second assessment - the DWP are hellbent on not telling me what this guy's expertise in mental health is.

Strange that, considering the same doctor (who is actually a serving GP - I must be one of the lucky ones!) is listed on his own practice website as being a specialist in diabetes. So, he shouldn't have a problem with specifying his experience/expertise in mental conditions - unless he has none.

It isn't the role of an ATOS medical examiner to be knowledgeable in any particular field. It's the perpetuation of misinformation like this that leads to causes much of the confusion about the purpose of these assessments.

Regarding your earlier post, if you are sleeping at times, I would say this constitutes having "no problem with sleeping" as opposed to someone who suffers from insomnia. It's easy to see how these misunderstandings occur. I think that your point about novel reading is just absurd.

seven-day-weekend

FTW wrote: »

The 'doctor' (tee hee) at the first of my two assessments discussed his qualifications for the first five minutes - even though I never prompted him to do so.

It's cause for alarm when a doctor spontaneously starts going on about how qualified he is.

However, that's the complete opposite with the doctor at my second assessment - the DWP are hellbent on not telling me what this guy's expertise in mental health is.

Strange that, considering the same doctor (who is actually a serving GP - I must be one of the lucky ones!) is listed on his own practice website as being a specialist in diabetes. So, he shouldn't have a problem with specifying his experience/expertise in mental conditions - unless he has none.

So the person you got on each occasion WAS actually medically qualified and was not a typist ot a plumber?:)

FTW

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

It isn't the role of an ATOS medical examiner to be knowledgeable in any particular field. It's the perpetuation of misinformation like this that leads to causes much of the confusion about the purpose of these assessments.

Regarding your earlier post, if you are sleeping at times, I would say this constitutes having "no problem with sleeping" as opposed to someone who suffers from insomnia. It's easy to see how these misunderstandings occur. I think that your point about novel reading is just absurd.

I would say that a wildly erratic sleep pattern does constitute a sleeping problem. As to the novel subject, well, they brought up the point about reading novels - not me. That was something that was never even covered in my second WCA. Even if that does strike you as being 'nit picky', it's still wrong information - and I'm sure you can agree that wrong information of any kind on a medical report is unacceptable. But then, that whole 'report' won't show up on my overall medical records for reasons we both already know.

FTW

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

So the person you got on each occasion WAS actually medically qualified and was not a typist ot a plumber?:)

Not sure about the first time - he seemed to be falling all over himself to persuade me that this was the case (I'm never convinced when a doctor feels the need to do this without being asked). The second one is a GP - whose credibility in mental health is unsubstantiated. Compare his opinion to four other GPs and two specialists - all of whom take a contrary view to his. Whose word would you believe? Even my first tribunal hearing stated that they 'had serious issues' with the ATOS report.

Oldernotwiser

FTW wrote: »

I would say that a wildly erratic sleep pattern does constitute a sleeping problem. .

I can see that it does to you but is it a problem by the definitions that are used? I'm trying to illustrate ways in which misunderstandings can arise.

cit_k

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Thank you for explaining. I do have a problem with this however. I do find it difficult to believe that medical professional consistently lie to the extent that is claimed on here. I would find it difficult to believe of professionals in any field. I certainly did not lie to the public when I worked in Town Planning, even though they did not always like what I told them. I'm not saying it NEVER happens, but according to people on here, it happens all the time.

Are you sure you didn't just get a crap assessor, who had made mistakes rather than deliberately lied? (Or maybe you got the one in a million who did lie - I just don't believe it always happens).

If it was just the once, but every assessment I have had they have pulled the same stunts.

(apart from the first one, where they were so incompetant and unprofessional they gave me a physical exam instead of a mental one).