Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

JS477

schrodie wrote: »

That's very strange because according to DWP Here the following applies to an NHS GPs completing an ESA113

"NHS GPs are under a statutory obligation to provide certain information to a healthcare professional working for Atos Healthcare on behalf of the DWP, in respect of patients that they have issued or refused to issue a statement. This includes a requirement to complete IB113/ESA113 reports when requested by Jobcentre Plus."

I very much doubt that GPs would want to break the 'The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2010' Here

Again a very "interesting" answer!!!

As a follow up to this revelation can we find out from the Atos PR Rep what action do Atos take when a GP doesn't fulfil their obligation under the terms of the above legislation?

Do they issue a reminder to the GPs that they are under an obligation to supply an ESA113 to Atos? Or do they just sit back and do nothing!

I would presume that this Atos PR Rep is aware that GPs are under this obligation and to deny such is certainly stretching any already dwindling credibility they may have.

Atos_Healthcare_representative

halight wrote: »

Can I ask how many on medicals In total across your all of your centers you do a day ? A rough number will do.

Just so we know how many these 50 recorders may have too go around if everyone started to have there medical recorded.

Which is what many of the charity's now advise.

halight, we have a regular review with DWP of the number of requests received for an audio recorded assessment to enable DWP to determine the most appropriate way of meeting demand. At the moment the number of machines being used provides sufficient capacity for the number of requests received each month. During a period last year when demand increased quickly we weren’t able to provide recording appointments within our normal timescales and we are currently working through those requests. Any longer term decisions about the scale of audio recording (using your example of everyone wanting to have their assessment recorded) would be driven by DWP.

JS477

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

Hi schrodie, as with any “mobile pool” equipment can sometimes get broken in transit. We obviously try to take steps to avoid this.

What steps do you try to mitigate this egregious behaviour?

Clearly Atos aren't trying very hard (now there's a surprise) if there are machines being continually "broken during transit" thus denying people the right to have their WCA recorded.

Also are there plans to purchase any more of these [delicate] recording devices or do Atos believe that <55 machines is enough to cover their 141'ish processing centres?

JS477

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

At the moment the number of machines being used provides sufficient capacity for the number of requests received each month.

How many requests per month do Atos receive from sick and disabled people to have their WCA recorded?

Atos_Healthcare_representative

JS477 wrote: »

As a follow up to this revelation can we find out from the Atos PR Rep what action do Atos take when a GP doesn't fulfil their obligation under the terms of the above legislation?

Do they issue a reminder to the GPs that they are under an obligation to supply an ESA113 to Atos? Or do they just sit back and do nothing!

I would presume that this Atos PR Rep is aware that GPs are under this obligation and to deny such is certainly stretching any already dwindling credibility they may have.

JS477, if we don’t receive the ESA113 back from a GP surgery our health care professionals may follow-up, for example, with a phone call. If a response is received after a face-to-face assessment has been booked the information will be reviewed and the assessment cancelled if it is no longer needed.

Enforcement of GPs statutory obligations is not within Atos Healthcare’s remit.

JS477

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

JS477, if we don’t receive the ESA113 back from a GP surgery our health care professionals may follow-up, for example, with a phone call. If a response is received after a face-to-face assessment has been booked the information will be reviewed and the assessment cancelled if it is no longer needed.

Enforcement of GPs statutory obligations is not within Atos Healthcare’s remit.

You may follow up with a phone call!! Well that's really big of Atos to just maybe follow up with a phone call!

So rather than follow up with a phone call to see why a GP hasn't fulfilled their statutory obligation in filling out and returning an ESA113 Atos go ahead and book a F2F assessment. As Mr. Spock would say....... 'fascinating'!!

So why don't Atos wait until you receive the ESA113 back from the GP or ascertain the reason why the GP hasn't sent back the ESA113 before arranging a F2F assessment? Surely that would benefit both parties and the taxpayer or is it because Atos gets paid by the WCAs they carry out!!

Also how long does Atos give the GP to return the completed ESA113 that they are under a statutory obligation to complete and return?

Atos may shy away from it's responsibilities of securing an ESA113 from the GP but that doesn't obviate them from doing very little to ascertain why the ESA113 hasn't been sent back to them.

staz

Atos rep will i ever get a response about the questions asked twelve days ago and reposted several times since? Again you appear to be very selective in what you are responding too.

schrodie

JS477 wrote: »

As a follow up to this revelation can we find out from the Atos PR Rep what action do Atos take when a GP doesn't fulfil their obligation under the terms of the above legislation?

Do they issue a reminder to the GPs that they are under an obligation to supply an ESA113 to Atos? Or do they just sit back and do nothing!

I would presume that this Atos PR Rep is aware that GPs are under this obligation and to deny such is certainly stretching any already dwindling credibility they may have.

If you think about it it isn't in Atos's best interest to issue an ESA113 to a medically qualified person because the result of the ESA113 may have a negative impact on their targets!!

Atos_Healthcare_representative

JS477 wrote: »

So why don't Atos wait until you receive the ESA113 back from the GP or ascertain the reason why the GP hasn't sent back the ESA113 before arranging a F2F assessment? Surely that would benefit both parties and the taxpayer or is it because Atos gets paid by the WCAs they carry out!!

Also how long does Atos give the GP to return the completed ESA113 that they are under a statutory obligation to complete and return?

JS477, DWP set the timescales for a response from GPs at 15 calendar days. We don’t attempt to arrange an assessment during that period, but we aren’t able to allow any more time. We are not incentivised to bring people in for a face to face assessment and we avoid doing it if it is not necessary.

halight

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

JS477, DWP set the timescales for a response from GPs at 15 calendar days. We don’t attempt to arrange an assessment during that period, but we aren’t able to allow any more time. We are not incentivised to bring people in for a face to face assessment and we avoid doing it if it is not necessary.

Atos PR Rep.

Just so we can compare, How long are you given to get info off a GP when someone puts a DLA claim in. Do the DWP give you the same 15 days ? or do you have longer ?

As you have said, You can not do anything about the length of time you have to collect the info as that is set by the DWP. But it would be good to have a timescale from another that you do medicals/collect info for to compare it with.