Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

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Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

jazabelle, sorry to hear that you had difficulty. The majority of our assessment centres are in DWP buildings and we directly lease a small number ourselves - but all centres should meet accessibility standards so I’m sorry if something wasn’t right in your case.

In a small number of centres, we don’t have access to ground floor assessment rooms. Although there are lifts in these centres, there are health and safety implications if, in the event of a fire, you cannot use stairs. In these areas, we let people know about access prior to scheduling appointments to try to ensure no one goes to a centre that isn't appropriate for them.

If you can confirm the actual Centre we will certainly check the current situation.

31 at the last count;)

"In evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee this morning, Employment Minister Mark Hoban has said that Atos assessment centres lack disabled access at a quarter of its premises. He told MPs that 31 of 123 centres run by Atos lacked ground-floor access for wheelchairs."(Nov 2012)

there you go,was'nt hard to tell it exactly how it is,was it?

schrodie

Also odd isn't it how many of these Atos processing centres where Atos process people on the second floor have a lift that just happens to be "Out of Order"!!

What numpty at Atos and the DWP said "Oh look lets have our disabled processing centres on second floors of buildings."

I wonder why they decided on that!!!

mazza111

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

jazabelle, sorry to hear that you had difficulty. The majority of our assessment centres are in DWP buildings and we directly lease a small number ourselves - but all centres should meet accessibility standards so I’m sorry if something wasn’t right in your case.

In a small number of centres, we don’t have access to ground floor assessment rooms. Although there are lifts in these centres, there are health and safety implications if, in the event of a fire, you cannot use stairs. In these areas, we let people know about access prior to scheduling appointments to try to ensure no one goes to a centre that isn't appropriate for them.

If you can confirm the actual Centre we will certainly check the current situation.

I had this problem too in the Glasgow centre. Trying to push someone up those ramps. I have problems myself, but there's no way someone who's self propelling could make it up those ramps unless they had muscles like the incredible hulk! I got half way and thankfully one of the security men pushed me up the rest :rotfl: But definitely not ideal and I will be asking for a home assessment due to that from now on.

I asked another question on the wrong thread.

How soon should the ATOS report be available to the DWP. I've called after having an assessment last week, to be told they haven't received the report yet, but the ATOS rep (doc) said it would be available instantly as it's sent electronically?

I have one other question. Is it common practice for your reps to introduce themselves as doctor <insert name here> when they are nurses? Because that happened the last time we were there. I'm waiting for this report to see if it was a doctor or a nurse that done it this time.

schrodie

If you can make it into an Atos processing centre then they'll probably find you fit for work!!:D

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

jazabelle, sorry to hear that you had difficulty. The majority of our assessment centres are in DWP buildings and we directly lease a small number ourselves - but all centres should meet accessibility standards so I’m sorry if something wasn’t right in your case.

In a small number of centres, we don’t have access to ground floor assessment rooms. Although there are lifts in these centres, there are health and safety implications if, in the event of a fire, you cannot use stairs. In these areas, we let people know about access prior to scheduling appointments to try to ensure no one goes to a centre that isn't appropriate for them.

If you can confirm the actual Centre we will certainly check the current situation.

Let's not mention the inconvenient fact that in the event of fire alarms in high rise buildings, there is a policy in place specifically for the evacuation of wheelchair users and those physically unable to use the stairs. In the places I have worked, it generally involves the use of the lift under supervision of two designated members of staff to ensure that nobody is discriminated against due to the office location being above ground floor level. If a genuine fire means the lift is inappropriate, the further policies list staff with the specific physical task of getting people downstairs.




Otherwise, it would be illegally discriminatory for wheelchair users to be housed in flats with lift access, and there would be records of ATOS staff being denied access to their employment on the grounds of their office being upstairs.

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schrodie wrote: »

If you can make it into an Atos processing centre then they'll probably find you fit for work!!:D

That is exactly one of the reasons they give in their report believe it or not,even if you where driven their in a car and thet was the only way you could possibly get there.It says:

1.Reason you came to this decision

HCP answer: "He/She managed to get to the assessment building.

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi all

Just to reiterate this is a trial and we'll be reviewing the feedback on here to see if it's worthwhile continuing.

Thanks

Archna

nogginthenog

To MSE Andrea why has my question

Do ATOS keep claimants past claim/medical history on file.

Which only requires a yes or no answer not been addressed despite being posted twice.

isolation

schrodie wrote: »

If you can make it into an Atos processing centre then they'll probably find you fit for work!!:D

Don't Joke about it. My partner's mobility was put into question as she 'could walk 12 metres' to the office (it failed to mention that she had been sat down for over 2 hours waiting for her appointment as the centre was so overbooked and so was ok to walk that far nor that she fell whilst walking to the scales and had to be helped up by the 'nurse').

Dee

beanielou

I'm sad that the Atos rep has been unable to answer more of the questions.