Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

Richie-from-the-Boro

schrodie wrote: »

The Panorama or was it the C4 programme that exposed Atos certainly indicated that if their so called "healthcare professionals" found too many people fit for work they were "talked to" about it!!!!

So I think we can take it as read that Atos do have targets to fail people and Atos don't have to pay anything for the £millions it costs the taxpayer in successful appeals against incorrectly carried out WCAs. Atos are in a win-win situation unlike their "customers" and it's only going to get worse when they're let loose on PIP claimants. :eek:

- that was Steve Bick .. .. .. here it is verbatim.

Richie-from-the-Boro

schrodie wrote: »

Why is it that so many of the audio recording machines that Atos fought so hard to avoid having to use (and as it turns out only certain "HCPs" are qualified to use them!!) are finding themselves "broken" thereby preventing the claimant from having their WCA recorded in order to prevent any ambiguity from what is actually said during the WCA and what eventually appears on the Atos report that is sent to the DWP?

- good planning
- because no one gets one
- they tried this in July last year
- Harrington kicked their wall down
- so now they are just .. er .. broken !
- but their mouthpiece says this
- para 13 of Harrington's Nov 2012 report says it all :

13. Finally, when claimants receive a copy of the final report produced by the Atos healthcare professional they continue to report that this does not reflect their experience of the face-to-face assessment. Incorrect details are input or important points omitted, and assumptions are made about a claimant’s condition. People with complex health conditions often feel that the healthcare professional does not have the necessary skills or training to complete the assessment. Claimants believe that universal audio recording of assessments would help rectify this.

- evidence obs -

“He had omitted facts and trivialized my health conditions so much so that I lodged a complaint to Atos about said doctor as his report could not give the DWP Decision Maker a true picture of my health and capability to perform everyday tasks”, Mr M

“Recording equipment needs to be available for every face to face assessment, in order to prevent errors from occurring, especially as Decision Makers use the resultant medical reports as statements of fact and will often make a decision using just the medical report and the ESA50 questionnaire”,Ms R

doingthelourdeswork

If you had a rogue assessor in your midsts and they lied about what what was said at the WCA what laws would they be breaking and what action could be taken against that individual by victim who was lied about?

Auld_N_Knackered

As I thought, no answers to awkward questions, bit of a wasted effort but nice try from Martin

jazabelle

I had an assessment a couple of years ago at an Atos centre. My experience only included in relation to my question. I was told the centre was accessible, and they were aware I was a wheelchair user.

I was surprised to arrive and find a massive step waiting for me at the front door. There was a sign that said to call for assistance, although there was no bell and no staff in sight.

When a staff member was located, I asked them where the ramp was. They informed me they had no ramp, and no alternative door - and then stared at me waiting for me to come up with a solution. I asked if they would stand behind my electric chair to stop it tipping and I would do my best to get up it if possible. They said they couldn't help - but would call security. Ten minutes later she came back to say security wouldn't help me either. She then went to tell the GP I was stuck outside, and left me there.

At that point a man passing by in the street stopped and asked if I needed help, and he luckily was able to do as I'd originally asked the staff member. I was so grateful to him. A medical is a stressful time - and to arrive to something like that was horrible and demeaning.

Of course then I had to get out afterwards - by closing my eyes and hoping to god the chair didn't tip over. As I left a gentleman was just arriving in a wheelchair and I wished him luck.

Afterwards, I wrote to Atos to ask why their assessment centres - that assess people with disabilities - weren't accessible.

They wrote back to apologise and sent a cheque for £25.

It's now been two years, and there is still no ramp to the only assessment centre in a very large town.

So my question: Why do Atos carry out assessments in building that are not accessible to wheelchair users or others with mobility issues? This is certainly not the only building this way, as I've heard reports of plenty more having the same issue, or a flight of stairs to reach the assessment rooms.

victimofatos

:mad:How long does the revision of a decision take , I wonder if I would have been as well going straight to appeal.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Accessibility

- 31 of their 123 centres have no ground floor wheelchair access
- 962 full-time-equivalent healthcare professionals carrying out HCP duties around the country
- and as #63 states even where it exists there's no access to the ground floor
- 73% of last years backlog was caused by only 6 inaccessible ATOS centres
- most emergency evacuation procedures do not allow the use of lifts
- most ATOS or the building security staff will not assist with helping you into the building
- nor will they in emergency evacuation procedures help you out down the stairs
- the entrance is usually some distance from the entrance so you can be 'video[d]' on he way in
- the examiner walks behind you, the heavy fire door is usually closed so they can asses your gait and door manipulation
- the receptionist will take your letter, ask you to sign and date a declaration form, and if you want to claim expenses
- this is all part of your assessment / ability to follow instructions / read / write / think / socialise etc
- put a parking ticket on your car, then claim expenses, shows your ability to follow instruction and can perform duties
- non wheelchair users watch out for the clever almost impossible to sit in low chairs without arms, and very unusually low receptionists counter

Lord Freud - 26 Nov 2012 :

Atos's quality target, which is to be below 5% on the quality side, has been achieved in 10 of the past 12 months and is now running at around 4%. Indeed, we are looking at whether we should now move the target figure for quality down from 5% to 4%.

mazza111

Thanks for that info Richie, we will be asking for a home visit next time due to the lack of disabled access. The ramps they got out were way too steep, I really struggled to get the wheelchair up them, thankfully a nice security man pushed me up when I got half way lol. But it shouldn't have happened that way. In all honesty I think even an able bodied person (I have dodgy knees and a dead arm) would have struggled to get up that ramp, as for self propellers? Not unless they had muscles like the hulk.

cool-dog

[text removed by MSE Forum Team]

My partner had an assessment in 2011, they decided that he was not entitled to DLA.

The 'doctor' did not apparently know alot of his medical conditions, despite asking for the symptoms, which were explained. She replied 'I have never heard of that'. They are not some rare diseases, and she acted like she really did not know.

We spent over a year fighting for this to be appealed, we had to wait over a year for this to take place. At the appeal we were informed that he was entitled to it and was awarded it again.

I am not sure if this is true or not but after my experience it probably is the case, ATOS employ doctors that are struck off the medical register. The 'doctor' he had was a nasty indvidual, and I hope she goes through similar experiences in the near future. She has made the last year a living nightmare and a financial struggle.

If you get a decision that you are not happy with, please go to appeal. It is a long process, but the government need to get the idea that ATOS are not fit for purpose (not that the government will listen).

able2uk

Why are people with disabilites which won't improve - such as cp - being forced to be assessed?