Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

Brassedoff

SEE wrote: »

Look, the fact that ATOS call up autistic people to attend meetings should tell you all. The fact that they classify them fit for work should tell you we are now living in Nazi Germany.

Many, many, many Autistic people are fit for work. I know quite a few who "grew" out of their condition once they were adult and wanted to drive their own car. Pity Mum & Dad needed one for them when they were kids as apparently they could not walk to School alone or had any road sense meaning a lift was essential.

(And before anyone goes off on one, my wife employs three lads with autism. They are excellent workers and nice lads)

Olive_Oyl

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi schrodie

LiMA is a tool the HCP uses to report the findings of the assessment, it is not conducting the assessment. LiMA supports consistency in the report

Hence so many appeals just under 50 %

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/379841/Rise-in-Atos-rulings-overturned-by-appeals

So If you say " LIMA supports consistency to report the findings of the assesment " Then why are nearly half of the appeals overturned ?

I dont expect an answer by the way .;)

FTW

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi schrodie

Sorry about the delay in responding to you.

I don't think he was holding his breath waiting for a reply.

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

LiMA is a tool the HCP uses to report the findings of the assessment, it is not conducting the assessment.

Oh, LiMA's a tool, all right.

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

LiMA supports consistency in the report and enables an electronic version to be sent to DWP.

That's a laugh - 'supports consistency'.

As another user has already pointed out, it can hardly be very consistent if nearly half of the appeals overturn the Atoss verdict.

Unless you meant 'consistently bad', that is.

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

HCPs are not driven by the application and they are always required to use their own clinical judgement and experience.

Shame LiMA doesn't let them.

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

It is part of our policy that HCPs introduce themselves at the start of an assessment

If they were to introduce themselves properly, they'd be including the lines 'I'm willing to sell my own principles out' or 'I couldn't get employment with anyone in the legitimate medical profession'.

halight

Yet another Day the Atos PR Rep has not bothered to show up ???

Witch_Hazel

Brassedoff wrote: »

Many, many, many Autistic people are fit for work. I know quite a few who "grew" out of their condition once they were adult and wanted to drive their own car.

Seriously PMSL. :rotfl::rotfl:

Atos_Healthcare_representative

sparkycat2 wrote: »

When do you expect to start doing ESA assessments for those claiming Severe Disability Allowance in the Thames Valley Area?

Do you have any policy as far as contacting someone's doctor before contacting the claimant in cases where the person suffers from severe mental illness, those who suffer from bouts of psychosis. Due to possible detrimental effects on their health or incapability of the claimant due to ill health?

In respect to people with severe mental illnesses. What is your policy as far as deciding if calling in for interview is not required? Due to possible detrimental effects on their health, incapability due to ill health, inappropriateness of face-to-face assessment in determining if the person would qualify under special circumstances due to danger to self or others, as I assume that would be reliant on medical evidence.

How frequent or likely does the danger to self or others have to be for the special circumstance rules to apply? Considering the danger is known, has occurred repeatedly in the past, and the danger is substantial life-threatening to self and others.

I think for DLA the danger only has to be known and substantial and not too remote a possibly. That is because it has occurred repeatedly in the past and would be expected to occur in the future and is known to be substantial life-threatening that the frequency is immaterial. Do ATOS take into account other benefit awards as indicative? For example Severe Disablement Allowance and Disability Living Allowance High Rate Care with Carer's Allowance in payment.

Hi sparkycat2

Sorry about the delay in responding to you. I’m afraid that I don’t have information about the timeframe for assessment for ESA of Severe Disability Allowance claims. You will need to speak to the DWP about this.

Regarding your other queries, every case referred by DWP will undergo assessment by a HCP at the file-work stage, with the aim of identifying individuals where advice can be given to the Decision Maker without the need for a face-to-face assessment. In some cases there will be sufficient information available from previous referrals, or submitted by the individual, to do so immediately. In other cases the HCP will wish to ask for further medical evidence from the GP or other clinician involved in their treatment at this stage. To turn to your question specifically, further medical evidence should be requested at the filework stage in cases where there is information suggesting that the “support group” criteria are likely to be met. This would normally be the case in the situations you mention, such as psychosis or bipolar disorder. We will also seek further medical evidence if there is evidence of suicidal ideation, or where we are told that an individual has an appointee acting on their behalf. The initial request for evidence is normally written in nature, but if this is not returned and there is concern about an individual based on the information we hold, a phone call to the clinician can be made to try and obtain the information.

Atos_Healthcare_representative

schrodie wrote: »

Thank you for your response. In the event of a HCP not formally introducing themselves can a claimant request their name and area of qualification and what happens if the HCP refuses to comply?

Also can you confirm that the LiMA software determines the follow up questions the HCP asks the claimant based on the claimants previous answers and LiMA formulates the final report?

Hi schrodie
I can confirm this is NOT the case. LiMA does not dictate or determine the questions that the HCP asks. The HCP is wholly responsible for the questions they ask and for the content of the final report.

If the HCP has not offered their name in the introduction you may ask for it at any point. All of our HCPs receive comprehensive specialist training in disability assessment and are approved by the DWP Chief Medical Adviser on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Atos_Healthcare_representative

halight wrote: »

Please explain how you can have consistency in the report ?
Should not each report be based on the person health issues, And how it affects them personally ?
No two people are the same ? How can you have Consistency In the reports When diffident health problems affect people In different ways ?

Hi halight
This is absolutely correct – each report is specific to the individual’s situation and their own specific problems. “Consistency” means a consistent approach across reports completed in different parts of the country, and by different HCPs, in terms of their layout, legibility, and the way in which areas such as clinical examination findings are presented in the reports.

sicknotethefirst

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi halight
This is absolutely correct – each report is specific to the individual’s situation and their own specific problems. “Consistency” means a consistent approach across reports completed in different parts of the country, and by different HCPs, in terms of their layout, legibility, and the way in which areas such as clinical examination findings are presented in the reports.

But not interpretation !!!!

sicknotethefirst

Originally Posted by Atos Healthcare company representative
Hi sicknotethefirst

Sorry for any confusion. You should have been told 20 working days, which is 4 weeks most of the time, but won’t be when there are bank holidays.

My complaint was dated the 15th Feb which is when Atos received it, so I should get a reply by today.

Would that be right?