Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

schrodie

Atos_Healthcare_representative wrote: »

Hi IanIBinnie

All our doctors are registered with the GMC and before carrying out assessments they receive further comprehensive specialist training in disability assessment. They must then be approved by the DWP Chief Medical Adviser on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Welcome back, you've been missed!

If your "doctors" receive further comprehensive specialist training in disability assessment why do they and your other assessors get so many WCAs wrong resulting in a huge bill of £millions to the taxpayer in the form of appeals!!! This is in addition to the pain and misery casued to sick and disabled people caused by these incorrect WCA decisions.

Brassedoff

halight wrote: »

http://www.spinal.co.uk/news/atos-doctors-investigation

Seven Atos doctors under investigation

Seven doctors employed by the company that carries out controversial “fitness to work” tests for the government are being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC).

At least one of the doctors has been the subject of more than one complaint, with a total of 10 cases under investigation.

Disabled people forced to undergo the assessments have repeatedly complained about the attitude of Atos staff.

Only last week, two Atos employees – a nurse and an administrator – were caught making offensive comments about their disabled customers on the social networking website Facebook.

Atos is investigating those complaints, while a complaint about the nurse’s


[QUOTEA GMC spokesman said: “Regardless of the type of work a doctor does they must follow the same standards of good medical practice set by the General Medical Council, including making the care of your patient your first concern. ]

=============

Please Go to The web site to read story In full[/QUOTE]

I have always said take their details, then report them to their governing bodies. These people who have been trained at our expense should not be able to moonlight and make extra money on the back of persecuting the disabled.

If ever person who is to get an assessment complained, ATOS's supply of HCP's would dry up very quickly. The problem is that those of you who are subject to these tests don't do it, therefore they are free to continue to run rampant!

JS477

johnsmi wrote: »

I think than in the light of the above information about the ex ATOS doctor I feel that it might be time for this site to review its policy as regards giving the ATOS rep a platform to express ATOS's views on here.

John

Unfortunately I think it's Atos here who are calling the shots in terms of allowing them a platform to peddle their propaganda.

MSE probably have little choice in the matter and are just doing as they're told.

Brassedoff

megc wrote: »

Hi Atos rep,
My partner had a medical for a DLA appeal last week at home. I attended with him, taking time off work to do so. The Dr told us he had been a Consultant gastroenterologist prior to his retirement 4years before and his subsequent employment with Atos.
1) how is a gastroenterologist supposed to comment accurately upon my partners condition, caused by complaints unrelated to gastroenterology at all? Why are your assessors not qualified in general practice or occupational health and therefore more able comment upon the care needs related to a particular health condition?
2) why did the Doctor make it clear that my views (as a carer) were completely irrelevant in his opinion, snubbing me every time I made a comment about my partners ability to do certain activities?
3) why did the doctor use leading questions throughout the assessment, prompting my partner to give the sneers he wanted to hear, and why did he keep pressurising my partner into giving those answers until he felt no option but to agree? Do Atos staff not learn to use open questions when interviewing people to get the correct information.
4) the doctor said he would complete a large section of the form after he left the appointment, and did not ask my partner to read or sign the information he had given the doctor to confirm it was correct. I thought this was supposed to be the case? How can we know that the report will be true or accurate? He didn't seem to write down everything my partner said, ignoring huge parts such as my partners nighttime care needs.

Report him. Making personal comments about a patient in front of them is a breach of GMC rules. Putting anything BEFORE the patients needs, that being the ATOS test and LIMA, is too, the number one breach of rules. Check the GMC's code and how to complain. The more who complain, the sooner the GMC will put a stop to doctors involvement as it stains the profession.

A note to all posters. If you are to be assessed by a doctor who is clearly from overseas, check they have clearance to practice in the UK. if they have no GMC license, call the Police immediately as they are breaking the law and and bodily contact is an assault. Please check as this is the advice being given by many OT's who are hearing of more and more foreign doctors arriving and working for ATOS whilst waiting for their clearance to practice in the UK

Atos_Healthcare_representative

Brassedoff wrote: »

A note to all posters. If you are to be assessed by a doctor who is clearly from overseas, check they have clearance to practice in the UK. if they have no GMC license, call the Police immediately as they are breaking the law and and bodily contact is an assault. Please check as this is the advice being given by many OT's who are hearing of more and more foreign doctors arriving and working for ATOS whilst waiting for their clearance to practice in the UK

Hi Brassedoff

I can assure you that all doctors who work for Atos Healthcare, whether from the UK or overseas, must possess full GMC registration and a license to practice before they perform any assessments. Without this they will not be permitted to commence employment with us, and any doctor who fails to maintain both full GMC registration and a license to practice will no longer be able to continue working for us.

isolation

Atos_Healthcare_representative wrote: »

Hi Brassedoff

I can assure you that all doctors who work for Atos Healthcare, whether from the UK or overseas, must possess full GMC registration and a license to practice before they perform any assessments. Without this they will not be permitted to commence employment with us, and any doctor who fails to maintain both full GMC registration and a license to practice will no longer be able to continue working for us.

A little like the ones in this article ?

"a solicitor who handles ESA appeals, said on two occasions his clients had been successful because, among other reasons, the doctor assessing them had qualified in Romania and registered with the GMC but had not been licensed to practise in Britain"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/13/atos-doctors-improper-conduct-disability

or this one:-

"The GMC has had to review at least 12 doctors in terms of their fitness to practise following allegations of improper conduct, while at least one doctor was working for Atos even though he did not have a license to practise medicine in the UK."

http://www.chartist.org.uk/articles/econsoc/may13_gilbert.htm


... so much for the ATOS Rep's "assurances"

Dee
http://dwpnegligence.wordpress.com

isolation

JS477 wrote: »

Unfortunately I think it's Atos here who are calling the shots in terms of allowing them a platform to peddle their propaganda.

MSE probably have little choice in the matter and are just doing as they're told.

MSE have every choice. Sadly I feel that they are making the wrong one.

I wouldn't mind this thread as the ATOS rep(s) are making their organisation look foolish and tawdry by ignoring many legitimate questions, answering questions incorrectly and not answering the question posed on but the one they wish to answer on many occasions.

Sadly ATOS are making a great deal PR-wise about being on the forum - so they just pop on every so often, choose a simple question, answer it to varying degrees of accuracy and they can still maintain they are doing this as a public service in their PR material.

Dee
http://dwpnegligence.wordpress.com

schrodie

Dear MSE Sponsored Atos Rep. I was wondering if you would care to comment on this:-

Declared 'fit to work'... dead nine days later: Double lung and heart transplant patient passed away a week after her benefits were stopped.
But healthcare assessor Atos ruled that she was 'fit to work'

More Here

sicknotethefirst

Atos_Healthcare_representative wrote: »

Hi Brassedoff

I can assure you that all doctors who work for Atos Healthcare, whether from the UK or overseas, must possess full GMC registration and a license to practice before they perform any assessments. Without this they will not be permitted to commence employment with us, and any doctor who fails to maintain both full GMC registration and a license to practice will no longer be able to continue working for us.

Neil Bateman, a solicitor who handles ESA appeals, said on two occasions his clients had been successful because, among other reasons, the doctor assessing them had qualified in Romania and registered with the GMC but had not been licensed to practise in Britain.

Brassedoff

Oh, so I was 100% correct in my news sources.

Thank you ATOS Rep for trying to make me look like an ill informed idiot at best, or someone committing libel at worse!