the dreaded esa rollercoaster starts..

KxMx

mynameistallulah wrote: »

In some (many) cases HCPs are actually more qualified to comment on your suitability for work. For instance, a physio may have more expertise than a GP at assessing a bad back, and equally a mental health nurse may be more capable of assessing MH problems than an orthopod.

The process is daunting, and ATOS is far from perfect, but getting yourself hung up on irrelevant information is not going to help you.

Sorry, what planet are you on? You don't get matched with the best HCP in relation to your conditon, you get seen by who ever is on shift at your appointment.

Thus it is quite possible to have a multitude of claimants with different physical and mental issues, all seen by a physiotherapist.

skintmacflint

If you google WCA ESA hand book, you will find a link to a PDF file listed on the dwp.gov.co.uk sites which gives you the handbbok containing explanations of how the staff carrying out these medical assessments are supposed to evaluate people and their capability against the various assessment descriptors. eg can you walk 50 mteres? etc etc

Lots of pages but has an index at the front.

smileytiger

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

I'm tempted to say I've met arthropods who could definitely do a better job than an ATOS nurse..lol

At hubbys first assessment the nurse had never heard of his condition & had to google it whilst he was sat there!:D

churchrat

Hi

just another one to say--ask for it to be recorded. If they say they cannot do say as it will take time, inconvenient etc just be polite and insist.

The "hpc" at my dd medical said that her asthma caused her no problems, which would have been fine , except that my daughter does not have asthma. A recording of this would have made her journey to the support group so much quicker.

As the others have said, only send photo copies, send everything recorded delivery, get date, time, and name for phone calls, and above all

---

do not trust them!!!

ankspon

wants.to.be.debt.free wrote: »

I agree my examiner twisted everything i said also, he also said i refused to bend and squat. I told him i couldn't because of pain. Definitely get it recorded.

Same here,they said i refused but not that i couldn't.They also said i wheeled my own wheelchair in and out when my wife wheeled me in and the assessor wheeled me out.

James123_2

I've had the phone call, but no form. So, I guess any delay is a good thing.

anguk

dazza-mac wrote: »

Any advice most welcome as I shall be getting my form within days. I asked if I should enclose any other paperwork from hospitals etc and she said there was no need as that is usually done at the appeals procedure. Is this correct?

It's almost as if they expect most people to fail the "medical" and have to appeal!

rogerblack

While I have criticisms of the process, both times I've gone through this, the assessor has been polite, well-spoken, and clearly attempted to get what I said down on paper.

Are there issues with the quality of the report - yes - due to time pressure, and other issues. But it was not - of itself - a stressful experience.

As to why they may say things like 'may walk 200m' - this is not implying that they have seen you walk 200m, but that they, considering all of your medical condition, and having observed how you walk, consider that you could walk 200m.

If you have any concerns about the way the medical was handled, do not ignore these.

First - if the assessor was abusive, or their standards fell below what you consider was reasonable - complain!
http://www.atoshealthcare.com/index.php?option=com_enquiries&Itemid=226 has links to a phone number, though putting it in writing is a better idea.

Secondly, if you feel that they may have misrepresented your condition - send a letter to the DWP (registered or special delivery of course) explaining the issues with the medical.

Thirdly - after a couple of days, phone the DWP and request a copy of the medical, and once you receive this - send a breakdown of issues with the report to the DWP. (and possibly ATOS). With luck, this will arrive in time to affect the decision.
(you should phone and notify them that you are sending in additional evidence to consider).

Seperate out the minor unimportant stuff - for example the assessor has written down that you opened the door, when they did - if your capability to open doors is not in question, from the important stuff.
For example, if they've written down that you can use a manual wheelchair, and you only have one arm.
The latter is more important, and you don't want it buried amongst a list of 'the assessor said I had a jacket, but it was a coat'.

And lastly - before the medical is an issue - download a copy of the ESA50, and read and understand the criteria that you are being assessed for - see my earlier post in the thread.
The WCA handbook mentioned earlier is also a good read.

dazza-mac

Thanks for all the advice people. I have to say I'm now "bricking it". I get so stressed and bogged down with everything thatI just can't think straight. My dad is also unwell at the minute and seems to be worsening by the day (81yrs old), it's the anniversary of my lovely mums passing coming up and I've loads of appointments I have to go to within the next couple of weeks (doctor sent me to the wrong place last week - good job I had her card with her writing on otherwise I would've been blamed for going to the wrong place)

Someone earlier mentioned filling the form in online. I don't have a computer and use the library and it costs a fortune to print stuff off and I assume the form is like war and peace. However, I have very painful thumbs and wrist so it may be better to fill it in online. I'm babbling now as panic is setting in. Thanks again for taking the time to give your advice

anguk

I know it's easier said than done but try not to panic or worry too much. I know we hear so much about the nightmare assessments and things going wrong but that isn't always the case. It's the nature of forums to hear the bad stories or people asking for help when things have gone wrong, we don't tend to ask for help or complain when things have gone well.

As others have said, take a look at the descriptors, take your time filling in the forms (I normally do them over a few days otherwise they do my head in ), or get help with the forms if you can. When you have your assessment try to stay as calm as possible, I know I sometimes get a bit muddled or miss things when I'm stressed or anxious.

We're still waiting for my husband to be transferred to ESA, we haven't had a phone call or anything yet but we know it's coming. I've been reading lots of good advice on here so I've got a rough idea of what to expect. The only advice I can give is read as much as you can so you're prepared, learn from other people's experiences, be honest and remember if you don't get the right decision you can appeal.