Ask Atos Healthcare disability assessment questions

halight

JS477 wrote: »

Thats Ok I only asked it on 23rd January!! Clearly the fewer the number of recording machines available the better as far as Atos is concerned because the less chance a sick and disabled person has of protecting themselves against a sub-standard WCA by getting it recorded.



Is this because Atos fails to make it known to people who they drag into their processing centres to be more than likely found fit for work that they can have their WCA recorded! It's clearly not in Atos's best interests to have these WCAs recorded as the HCP cannot then alter what was said because these recordings can be used at an appeal!

As for your remit it appears that MSE has been very obliging to you by not allowing awkward questions to be asked and only questions whose answers can more or less be found on the Atos website being allowed.


Hopefully then you can now answer this question.

How many "Atos doctors" or "Healthcare professionals" are currently under investigation by the General Medical Council over allegations of improper conduct?

Some very Good points there mate.

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

Thats Ok I only asked it on 23rd January!!

Atos PR Rep,(s)

While we thank you for your answer, I do need to point out that there are question's from before this that still have not had an answer.
If you are getting the Info/data to answer these then that's great. If on teh other hand you are hoping they will be forgot about then I'm sorry to tell you that they won't be.

Please If there are Questions that you can not answer for what ever reason then please as soon as you see one or as soon as you find out you can not give us answer then please can to just post the truth and say you can not tell us the answer.

It will save people waiting around for an answer.

We do know that are some things you will not be able to give us an answer on.
We may not like it! But we will move on to the next question.

damo24

JS477 wrote: »

Atos should contact someone's GP to obtain clinical details.

By their own admission in their "answer" to my questions which they replied at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58995983&postcount=666 the rep stated that "it is not always the case that a request is made to any health professional if, based on the questionnaire and any other information sent in, it appears that a face to face assessment will be required" which contradicts their statement earlier in the same answer.

I have challenged the contradictions in my question at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=59008247&postcount=704 although as it took them 18 days to answer my original question I am not expecting a reply until 17th February at the earliest.

JS477

isolation wrote: »

Firstly you must realise that not everyone who is treat unfairly by you makes a complaint, particularly with the nature of your client group.

Secondly 'less than 1%' is certainly NOT necessarily a "very small proportion" - it depends how much less. If 1% of people complained about me in my position, I would not be in it very long at all and rightly so.

Dee
http://dwpnegligence.wordpress.com

On a previous Atos website Atos claimed that:-

"Each year Atos Healthcare process over 1.2 million referrals for medical advice completing over 800,000 face-to-face medical assessments within our nationwide network of over 140 medical examination centres ... All our 1700+ healthcare professionals are fully trained to undertake disability assessments. Doctors are registered with the General Medical Council, nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and physiotherapists with the Health Professions Council. All healthcare professionals are approved by the Chief Medical Adviser of the DWP ...".


However following a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority questioning this claim by Atos the ASA ruled that Atos had not provided evidence to show that each year it processed over 1.2 million referrals for medical advice and completed over 800,000 face-to-face medical assessments, or that it had over 1700 healthcare professionals. We therefore considered that the claims had not been substantiated and concluded the ad was misleading.


Even if the claim by Atos was correct that it carries out 800,000 F2F medical assessments (strange how Atos called them Medical assessments when according to this Atos PR Rep they are supposed to be Functional assessments!!!) at a 1% complaint rate that equals 8000 sick and disabled people unhappy at the treatment at the hands of Atos.

The ASA also said regarding the behaviour of Atos.

"The ASA was concerned by Atos' lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.7 (Unreasonable delay). We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries and told them to do so in future."

ASA Ruling

halight

JS477 wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[QUOTEWe take all complaints very seriously and we have a robust process for dealing with them that is also audited independently by the DWP. ][/QUOTE]


Atos PR Rep.

If this is true.

What happens when some one you declare fit for work. Who has
terminal illness, After this has gone to tribunal, Do you speak to the HCP who carried out the medical ?

Do you give them some retraining or somthing of the like.

I know that you don't make the final decision If to award ESA or not. But I don't think even the DWP are silly enough to pass someone fit for work if the medical say's that the person will be dead in the next 6-18 month.

damo24

Fridge3 wrote: »

There is no mention of recordings (CCTV or others) being used for observation. That has been introduced and mis interpreted by poster here. The handbook refers to greeting the claimant in person prior to interview. In fact it highlights the professional, non confrontational approach that atos take to put claimants at their ease and build rapport for effective interview

I think if you re-read my post which you have quoted I actually asked "[if] they also observe people outside of the building etc" using CCTV or other means. AT NO POINT did I say that Atos (or anyone else) do use this method I merely raised the possibility that they might.

halight

damo24 wrote: »

By their own admission in their "answer" to my questions which they replied at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58995983&postcount=666 the rep stated that "it is not always the case that a request is made to any health professional if, based on the questionnaire and any other information sent in, it appears that a face to face assessment will be required" which contradicts their statement earlier in the same answer.

I have challenged the contradictions in my question at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=59008247&postcount=704 although as it took them 18 days to answer my original question I am not expecting a reply until 17th February at the earliest.

I don't think its a case of "contradictions" In there answers.

It's more of a case of they don't have a clue over what they are doing!

halight

JS477 wrote: »

On a previous Atos website Atos claimed that:-

"Each year Atos Healthcare process over 1.2 million referrals for medical advice completing over 800,000 face-to-face medical assessments within our nationwide network of over 140 medical examination centres ... All our 1700+ healthcare professionals are fully trained to undertake disability assessments. Doctors are registered with the General Medical Council, nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and physiotherapists with the Health Professions Council. All healthcare professionals are approved by the Chief Medical Adviser of the DWP ...".


However following a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority questioning this claim by Atos the ASA ruled that Atos had not provided evidence to show that each year it processed over 1.2 million referrals for medical advice and completed over 800,000 face-to-face medical assessments, or that it had over 1700 healthcare professionals. We therefore considered that the claims had not been substantiated and concluded the ad was misleading.


Even if the claim by Atos was correct that it carries out 800,000 F2F medical assessments (strange how Atos called them Medical assessments when according to this Atos PR Rep they are supposed to be Functional assessments!!!) at a 1% complaint rate that equals 8000 sick and disabled people unhappy at the treatment at the hands of Atos.

The ASA also said regarding the behaviour of Atos.

"The ASA was concerned by Atos' lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.7 (Unreasonable delay). We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries and told them to do so in future."

ASA Ruling

Oh dear Atos caught out again misleading people.


:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

damo24

Atos_Healthcare_company_representative wrote: »

If the DWP identify that a report doesn’t meet agreed quality standards they will return it to Atos Healthcare for clarification or rework. This would normally happen before any final decision was made by DWP on a person's entitlement to benefit.

Can you please explain what the "agreed quality standards" are? As I have asked at http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58600685&postcount=148, http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58804139&postcount=372 and http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=58957771&postcount=634 the HCP failed to supply his justification for his decision that a return to work would be expected within 3 months. Surely this falls short of any quality standards as the DWP (who are basing their decision on the reports of Atos from both the pre-board check and the WCA) need this justification to support their decision.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Are ATOS intending to change the job title 'Health Care Professional' to 'Care Professional' and drop the word 'Health' from the Job Title ?

Will ATOS employees using the Job Title 'Health Care Professional' have it changed to 'Care Professional' dropping the word 'Health' from the Job Title ?

JS477

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Are ATOS intending to change the job title 'Health Care Professional' to 'Care Professional' and drop the word 'Health' from the Job Title ?

Will ATOS employees using the Job Title 'Health Care Professional' have it changed to 'Care Professional' dropping the word 'Health' from the Job Title ?

Judging from the hammering Atos got from our MPs I think they should also drop the adjective 'Professional' from their title as well!!!