Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

melbury

The doctor that my OH sees is obviously Eastern European, but I don't know which country he is from. He doesn't listen at all just smiles and nods a lot, probably thinking of how much he is getting paid for doing this wonderful work.

Surely any doctor who does these assessments must be pretty much a failure, otherwise why would they do it? No self respecting half decent GP would stoop that low surely?

Is there any way of checking - like some kind of register - to find out if these Atos HCP's are actually registered with the GMC and thus allowed to practice in this country?

schrodie

melbury wrote: »

The doctor that my OH sees is obviously Eastern European, but I don't know which country he is from. He doesn't listen at all just smiles and nods a lot, probably thinking of how much he is getting paid for doing this wonderful work.

Surely any doctor who does these assessments must be pretty much a failure, otherwise why would they do it? No self respecting half decent GP would stoop that low surely?

Is there any way of checking - like some kind of register - to find out if these Atos HCP's are actually registered with the GMC and thus allowed to practice in this country?

Go to the GMC's website search for the registration screen enter their name and all will be revealed!!! They may well be registered in the UK but may not have a license to practice!!!!!!

Brassedoff

This opens a huge can of worms as the law is very specific about who can and who cannot call themselves a Doctor. It can result in going to Prison! Add to that, if you consented to being touched by what you thought was a Doctor, but wasn't, then there are a range of assaults that can be levied. Then an employer who fails to check would leave themselves open to being sued too.

Richie-from-the-Boro

ATOS are not in "'a typical caring role. The HCA isn't about diagnosing, those assessed are claimants, not patients.'"

Doctors working full-time with Atos can earn a basic salary of £54,000 plus various benefits including private healthcare.

Sessional doctors are paid £35.16 for each incapacity benefit examination and £51.37 for disability living allowance examination.

p999j

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

ATOS are not in "'a typical caring role. The HCA isn't about diagnosing, those assessed are claimants, not patients.'"

Doctors working full-time with Atos can earn a basic salary of £54,000 plus various benefits including private healthcare.

Sessional doctors are paid £35.16 for each incapacity benefit examination and £51.37 for disability living allowance examination.

At a tough financial time, it seems well resourced.

I have an ATOS medical appointment coming up and I am terrified. Mostly because my last one seemed to ask questions completely irrelevant to my illness. I have IBS, IBD and CFS- illnesses which really don't affect whether I can lift a box at arms length, and are so changeable, I wait each day to see whether I am capable of doing anything that day.

There seems to be no interest in the 'claimant' being able to explain changeable conditions. I am also anxious in social situations because of IBS and have withdrawn from society generally-not through choice but through incontinence causing me such personal embarrassment. Why are these type of issues ignored? :mad: My situation is not simply a physical restriction-I doubt many people affected by disability are solely physically affected.

These so called 'medicals' are an affront to the medical profession and the stress they cause to 'claimants' (I damn sure would not claim unless I had no other alternative) actually causes deterioration to a huge number of people. I know it does to me.

So at the interview can I ask the doctor/assessor to see his GMC registration and licence to practise in the UK?

melbury

I cannot understand how any half decent self respecting doctor would want to do this for a living.

Surely the ones who do must be pretty sad failures and should hate themselves for sinking so low:(

melbury

schrodie wrote: »

Go to the GMC's website search for the registration screen enter their name and all will be revealed!!! They may well be registered in the UK but may not have a license to practice!!!!!!

Thanks, yes he is on there and it says he has a license to practice - not as a specialist or a GP though - so must be pretty carp.

Atos_Healthcare_representative

p999j wrote: »

At a tough financial time, it seems well resourced.

I have an ATOS medical appointment coming up and I am terrified. Mostly because my last one seemed to ask questions completely irrelevant to my illness. I have IBS, IBD and CFS- illnesses which really don't affect whether I can lift a box at arms length, and are so changeable, I wait each day to see whether I am capable of doing anything that day.

There seems to be no interest in the 'claimant' being able to explain changeable conditions. I am also anxious in social situations because of IBS and have withdrawn from society generally-not through choice but through incontinence causing me such personal embarrassment. Why are these type of issues ignored? :mad: My situation is not simply a physical restriction-I doubt many people affected by disability are solely physically affected.

These so called 'medicals' are an affront to the medical profession and the stress they cause to 'claimants' (I damn sure would not claim unless I had no other alternative) actually causes deterioration to a huge number of people. I know it does to me.

So at the interview can I ask the doctor/assessor to see his GMC registration and licence to practise in the UK?

Hi p999j

I’m sorry this is so stressful for you. It may be worth thinking whether it would help to bring someone with you to the assessment? They can wait with you in reception and, if you wish, they can also accompany you in the assessment. Please do tell the healthcare professional how worried you are and they will do their best to put you at ease and explain what is happening.

The discussion you will have with the health care professional for a WCA is, in some places, very different from the discussion you are used to having with your GP, for example. There is often less of a focus on talking through the details of your medical symptoms, treatments and test results that you will be used to with other professionals. This is because they are not looking to diagnose you. A lot of the conversation will focus on your day-to-day life and what you manage/struggle to do in your daily routine because of your health problems. This helps the HCP to write a report that explains the effects of your conditions in your own situation.

The healthcare professional is trained to understand the effects of variable conditions, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, on daily life. Please describe how your conditions fluctuate and what impact this has on you personally, and they will take it into account.

The assessment may be carried out by a doctor, nurse or physiotherapist. All our practitioners have to be approved by the Chief Medical Officer in the DWP to be able carry out assessments. However, if you wish you can ask for the relevant identifier (registration, pin number etc.) from their governing medical body.

schrodie

Before you go off again rather than answering questions can you comment on this egregious story regarding atos?

Here

sicknotethefirst

Atos_Healthcare_representative wrote: »

Hi p999j


The healthcare professional is trained to understand the effects of variable conditions.