Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

mazza111

Be fair guys. He/She may only be allowed to answer specific ones as stated in Andrea's original post. Which isn't really what we want from an ATOS rep, but hey ho.

No one dislikes ATOS more than me.


vvvvvv- I had the same problem with ATOS, the broke the DPA when they called me. I told them I was not willing to give personal information over the phone as they could be anyone, they then gave me my DOB and my NI number over the phone after me asking them to put any appointment in writing.

I will contact you regarding my previous questions ATOS rep, but only after I have received the medical report on my daughter. I don't want things being changed beforehand As you can see there isn't a lot of trust there, given the lies that were told about her the last time.

mightyroyals

I had to go to a medical last month and my local atos centre over 30 miles away is on a 2nd floor. When i got there i was turned away as a fire hazard as i am on crutches. even though it was written in my esa50 so atos clearly do not read the esa50 so it seems pointless having to write these out. after that i was told i would get a home visit in which i had told atos i was not available for 2 weeks as i was at my mothers for xmas and i would return on a certain day this was also in the esa 50 the day i returned home i found a handwritten letter saying i missed my medical. so why do we have to write these questionaires out if you dont read them

Seakay

A few weeks ago my sister was assessed by ATOS as being too ill to attend a medical at a location 45 miles from her house.
Now she has been put into the group for ESA which means that she has to travel 50 miles to a WRAG group.
Her GP has written to say that her health has not improved and that any exertion and employment will make it worse.

Please explain why I should not assume that this is a result of the SG group having a numbers limit on it rather than being available to all who need it.

isolation

Hi,
Could you please tell me how long it takes for the Independent Tier of the complaints process to fully respond to a complaint.
A complaint was escalated in the second week of November and the medical side of the report declared all 3 of my partner's assessments as not fit for purpose but I believe that there is also an administrative report which follows this ?

Thank you

bonnie1968

why is atos think they can actuaaly assess people when they dont even take half of what is actually wrong with you into account you meant to be able to assess people for what they can do yet you only see them for what 45 mins you are not seen by doctors but by nurses last time i looked a nurse was different from a doctor
i have mental health problems bi polar and copd (phyical) no mention in my report of anything bout my mecatiosn even though i took them with me and they were looked at it was just like a having a coversation with my next door neighbour rather than someine who is suposed to be qualifed if iwanted understanding on a persinal rather than clinical id go and talk to one of my freinds the report came back and it like it someone else who went in for the app if you can call it that

Cpt.Scarlet

volintier wrote: »

Yes I would agree with you as that was a reply to one of my questions.

I was originally given 0 points in January 2010, which miraculously a few days before the Tribunal hearing in early 2011, was changed to Support Group for three years - despite the fact that no evidence whatsoever had been sent by me to ATOS or the DWP prior, and that neither ATOS or the DWP had contacted any of my medical professionals for evidence(I had been holding the evidence which I was intending to give to the Tribunal for over 12 months). On what basis they changed their mind I have never been able to find out.

Now having recently (10 days ago) sent back my review ESA50 + a copy of my latest repeat prescription list - 3 pages +, I am fully expecting to be called for an assessment which I will no doubt gain the grand total of 0 points once again!

Of course I will appeal and no doubt will find myself back in the SG with some luck on my side. Obviously a failure at the assessment should result in another review of my DLA (HRM+MRC) which was fully reviewed in November 2011 with an indefinite award.

To be honest this is becoming tedious. The DWP know full well that my medical conditions that they already know about from the 2010 assessment will never change for the better, never mind the additional problems (complications) that have arisen since January 2010 that ATOS or the DWP don't know about.


Yes ATOS why do you continue to re-assess those people that have conditions that can only deteriorate with time? You are aware of them from a previous face to face assessment. Are you expecting a miracle to happen?

You really need to keep better notes Andy, in post 3 you were bemoaning the loss of your ESA at the end of last year.

So which is it, have you lost your ESA or are you being assessed?

sicknotethefirst

bonnie1968 wrote: »

why is atos think they can actuaaly assess people

Its a money making scam, this is what they were know for in the US

damo24

Hi,

I hope that I am not repeating questions that have already been asked in this thread however there are a few questions which I would like to ask with regards to the WCA with particular emphasis in relation to people with mental health issues.

Last summer I had a WCA as I suffer from complex mental health issues. Although I found the assessment extremely degrading and the assessor's report bore no resemblance to what was said that is another matter which the Tribunal will rule on when it happens. More so, the purpose of this thread is to ask general questions and not call ATOS or particular assessors so I hope that you will be able to answer these questions and clarify a few points for me.

Firstly can you please explain the decision making process that decides whether a claimant is required to attend a WCA or not? In 2011, I received an ESA50 to transfer me from Incapacity Benefit to ESA. I completed the form and was granted ESA (work related activity group) without having to attend an assessment.

Approximately 12 months later (in the same week) I received another ESA50 and a DLA renewal form. As the questions are very similar in both forms the answers provided were very similar. More so, as my condition had neither improved nor deteriorated in the 12 months since my last ESA50 was completed, the form was more or less a carbon copy of the previous form with the appropriate changes to medication etc made. I was awarded DLA at the same rate for 2 years yet this time I was called in for a WCA with regards to ESA. I find this lack of continuity extremely confusing. If I received enough points from the paper sift one year why did I not the next when the forms were almost identical?

Bearing in mind that I suffer from complex mental health issues, can you please explain what training the assessors undertake with regards to mental health problems? As far as I understand it, the assessors are medically trained staff such as Doctors or nurses however I do not believe that they are psychiatrists or RMNs (Registered Mental Health Nurses) so I am interested to discover what qualifications they have or additional training they undergo to assess mental health conditions with regards to the effect such conditions have on someone's capability for work.

I know that this might be a bit of a crossover with the DWP Decision Maker's process however in my “Secretary of State’s Response” there is a paragraph stating that: “lt is important to distinguish between the role of the health care professional, and that of the GP. The primary role of the GP is to diagnose and treat any medical conditions that their patient presents to them. A GP does not routinely consider the functional restrictions appropriate to the activities and descriptors of the limited capability for work assessment”. Prior to my WCA, my Consultant Psychiatrist was not consulted on his opinion as to my "functional restrictions appropriate to the activities and descriptors of the limited capability for work assessment" despite him treating me for more than 2 years and me being under the supervision of a Consultant Psychiatrist for more than 4 years. Surely a Consultant Psychiatrist would fall into the category of a "Health Care Professional" so the question is why was he not consulted prior to the WCA?

Since my WCA, my Psychiatrist has submitted 2 letters (all be it to the DWP decision maker) with regards to this matter after he personally studied the WCA handbook (http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-handbook.pdf) and the current legislation with regards to Limited Capability for Work (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/228/schedule/1/made?view=plain) and (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/228/schedule/2/made?view=plain). I feel that if he had been consulted prior to the WCA the assessor would have had a much better overview of my conditions and how they affect me in everyday life and would hopefully have prevented me from the current hell I am going through in fighting the decision that has been made to award me 0 points.

Finally, throughout the ESA85 Medical Report it is recorded that I "did not make rocking movements" with an additional note stating that "rocking may indicate anxiety". One of my conditions is severe anxiety and it is obvious to anyone around me when I am anxious. Amongst my symptoms my hands shake, I begin to stutter and my legs shake uncontrollably. There are usually also other obvious physical signs.

In the “Atos Healthcare Evidence Based Protocols for the Disability Analyst” Anxiety guide (EBM Anxiety, Version: 2a (draft), MED/S2/CMEP~0055 (c)) (located at http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/atos_healthcare_evidence_based_p) page 17 states that “An anxious claimant may be sweating and have shaking hands. They may be hyper-alert, looking around the room, and constantly shifting in their chair. They may avoid eye contact, be tearful, and may have difficulty with their concentration and speech”.

Can you please explain why your assessment only counts "rocking" as being a sign of anxiety when this contradicts your own protocols?

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my rather lengthy questions and also for trialling this forum to allow people to ask questions for which (until now) there has been no way to find out the answers.

LibraDragon64

I have MS and claimed DLA in 2011. I used the Benefits and Work guide to claiming DLA and was awarded middle rate care and high rate mobility. If you get the pack from them and follow their guidance it makes life much easier.

schrodie

volintier wrote: »

I'm sorry, I have just fallen off my chair due to laughing too much!

A DM is actually going to re-evaluate which descriptors apply and what points are awarded in contradiction to what ATOS advise?? Come on, you aren't being serious?

Why bother with ATOS at all? Why not give the DM's a computer terminal and a telephone in order that they can carry out telephone assessments?

It would save this country a lot of money!

Atos use their own computer software called LIMA to dictate the WCA .

The following make for interesting reading!!

Here

Here

Here

It also looks like our MPs are going to take a look at Atos and how they conduct themselves at these assessments on January 17th I wonder if anyone will be watching!

Here