Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support

[kittyP]

Update on my medical appointment this week..Drugged myself up to the hilt for the event, threw up, had a couple of panic attacks, paid £10 petrol and £3.50 car parking ticket, get there and the receptionist tells my friend (who took a day off work and lost a days wages to take me there) that nobody would be able to see me as they didn't have my "medical notes". She said they will get back to me with another appointment date.

Oh fucking hell!!
That's terrible

 

[kittyP]

{{{WouldBe}}} sorry to hear this, utterly incompentent fucktarding arseholes. Your GP hasn't fucking helped either, he should have redone your sicknote there and then.

This ^ I have seen some shit GPs in my time but none of them have ever messed around with sick notes.

 

[equationgirl]

This is kind of what I have resigned myself to happening.
Can you record it yourself openly?

I had a meeting with my psych nurse yesterday and held it together OK until he brought up ATOS and I lost it. Could not stop sobbing for about 20 mins
I hadn't realised quite how much it was having an effect on me deep down as well as on the surface.

{{{kittyP}}} big hug for you x x

Please don't feel bad about this, if anything your notes will show that this assessment has been an extreme stressor for you and it's helpful to have it noted by a medical professional especially one that knows how detrimental stress can be to mental health. If (and I mean IF) your case goes to a tribunal this note will show the tribunal panel how much this has affected you.

You can ask to record openly but various people have anecdotally reported that ATOS refuse to proceed with the assessment in that case.

Now, yesterday I reading a recent case law report about the use of covert recordings and employment, and whilst the use of covert recordings is generally seen as morally distasteful, if the information recorded isn't a trade secret or confidential in some other other way to the business, it may not be illegal. In the context of ATOS, it could (and I say could because I'm not a lawyer) be argued that as the meeting is about you and your health condition that such a recording may not be illegal either.

Note taking is perfectly legal, although there is at least once instance of ATOS power-tripping and insisting that her permission be ever-so-humbly asked before any notes are made - by a senior NHS manager who had accompanied his partner

 

[kittyP]

{{{kittyP}}} big hug for you x x

Please don't feel bad about this, if anything your notes will show that this assessment has been an extreme stressor for you and it's helpful to have it noted by a medical professional especially one that knows how detrimental stress can be to mental health. If (and I mean IF) your case goes to a tribunal this note will show the tribunal panel how much this has affected you.

You can ask to record openly but various people have anecdotally reported that ATOS refuse to proceed with the assessment in that case.

Now, yesterday I reading a recent case law report about the use of covert recordings and employment, and whilst the use of covert recordings is generally seen as morally distasteful, if the information recorded isn't a trade secret or confidential in some other other way to the business, it may not be illegal. In the context of ATOS, it could (and I say could because I'm not a lawyer) be argued that as the meeting is about you and your health condition that such a recording may not be illegal either.

Note taking is perfectly legal, although there is at least once instance of ATOS power-tripping and insisting that her permission be ever-so-humbly asked before any notes are made - by a senior NHS manager who had accompanied his partner

Fucking hell
What a nightmare.
They have no reason to stop you recording other than they want to be able to lie.

Oh well, I still haven't heard from them.

 

[equationgirl]

Fucking hell
What a nightmare.
They have no reason to stop you recording other than they want to be able to lie.

Oh well, I still haven't heard from them.

Exactly. It's to stop the lies being exposed.

Shame it's not working

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Update on my medical appointment this week..Drugged myself up to the hilt for the event, threw up, had a couple of panic attacks, paid £10 petrol and £3.50 car parking ticket, get there and the receptionist tells my friend (who took a day off work and lost a days wages to take me there) that nobody would be able to see me as they didn't have my "medical notes". She said they will get back to me with another appointment date.

when my friend went for his ATOS 'medical' we were given a claim form for travel expenses. They allowed so much per mile for it.

Since this is their balls-up, I would have thought you would be able to claim for this as well.

I doubt you will be able to claim for friend's lost pay though.

CUNTS

 

[equationgirl]

when my friend went for his ATOS 'medical' we were given a claim form for travel expenses. They allowed so much per mile for it.

Since this is their balls-up, I would have thought you would be able to claim for this as well.

I doubt you will be able to claim for friend's lost pay though.

CUNTS

On the other hand, if you don't ask you don't get...

 

[WouldBe]

{{{WouldBe}}} sorry to hear this, utterly incompentent fucktarding arseholes. Your GP hasn't fucking helped either, he should have redone your sicknote there and then.

Despite being told I wouldn't get any payments until they got the sicknote (correctly filled in yesterday and posted off but forgot to photocopy it ) I've received a letter from the DWp today saying they are paying ESA from 15th mar. When that will arrive in my account is anybodys guess.

 

[WouldBe]

This ^ I have seen some shit GPs in my time but none of them have ever messed around with sick notes.

It wasn't my usual GP that filled in the form, he's on holiday the inconsiderate bastard.

 

[Frances Lengel]

Got a text this morning "Do you know how to spell skitsaphenea?" Off a mate who's doing his ESA form. He'll probably be alright though, he's got a worker to act as an advocate and, TBH, the only people I've known who get through the assessment with minimal bother are those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

 

[equationgirl]

Got a text this morning "Do you know how to spell skitsaphenea?" Off a mate who's doing his ESA form. He'll probably be alright though, he's got a worker to act as an advocate and, TBH, the only people I've known who get through the assessment with minimal bother are those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Glad he's got an advocate, I hope he gets his support.

 

[toggle]

Got a text this morning "Do you know how to spell skitsaphenea?" Off a mate who's doing his ESA form. He'll probably be alright though, he's got a worker to act as an advocate and, TBH, the only people I've known who get through the assessment with minimal bother are those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

if you're loopy enough, they won't even try for a medical.

 

[Bakunin]

if you're loopy enough, they won't even try for a medical.

Wibble, wobble, boing, fish, oblongs, etc...

If they do assess me, would that be a good time to stay up right through the night before, knock back a bit of your rocket fuel wine and relate in excruciating detail my nocturnal trauma resulting from the Dance Of The Aubergines unpleasantness..?

 

[Frances Lengel]

Glad he's got an advocate, I hope he gets his support.

He has got support, at this homeless unit place he goes to, he's got not one, not to, but three dedicated workers, thanks for wishing him well though, I'll pass on your support - He's quite a charming, but at the same time kinda hard work guy who's done far too much prison - He's like a hot potato, which does work in his favour a lot of the time coz people tend to green light him just to get him off their hands IYSWIM.

 

[toggle]

Wibble, wobble, boing, fish, oblongs, etc...

If they do assess me, would that be a good time to stay up right through the night before, knock back a bit of your rocket fuel wine and relate in excruciating detail my nocturnal trauma resulting from the Dance Of The Aubergines unpleasantness..?

i'll take a video camera and post up some of the results

 

[equationgirl]

i'll take a video camera and post up some of the results

I foresee a YouTube hit video going viral...

 

[toggle]

I foresee a YouTube hit video going viral...

so do I.

Cause i know what hapopened the last time he was overtired and the last time i let him near scrumpy. it involved naked dancing

 

[equationgirl]

so do I.

Cause i know what hapopened the last time he was overtired and the last time i let him near scrumpy. it involved naked dancing

With an aubergine??

 

[Frances Lengel]

Wibble, wobble, boing, fish, oblongs, etc...

If they do assess me, would that be a good time to stay up right through the night before, knock back a bit of your rocket fuel wine and relate in excruciating detail my nocturnal trauma resulting from the Dance Of The Aubergines unpleasantness..?

Dance of the aubergines needn't be unpleasant though - A tub of vaseline, a bottle of amyl, curtains closed & job's a good un, I reckon.

 

[Mindles$]

I won my incapacity benefit/ESA tribunal, I achieved a total of 21 points.

Just got my DLA tribunal date to come now!

then it will be time to be re-assessed and go through all of this again

 

[toggle]

I won my incapacity benefit/ESA tribunal, I achieved a total of 21 points.

Just got my DLA tribunal date to come now!

then it will be time to be re-assessed and go through all of this again

congratz.

although it seems horrible to congratulate someone for having to go to appeal to get what they should have been entitled to at the start.

 

[equationgirl]

I am pleased you got there in the end Mindles$. Don't forget about backpay!

 

[kittyP]

I won my incapacity benefit/ESA tribunal, I achieved a total of 21 points.

Just got my DLA tribunal date to come now!

then it will be time to be re-assessed and go through all of this again

Great stuffs

 

[spirals]

10 hrs over 3 days with 2 peoples help and my DLA renewal form is finally ready to go off tomorrow. Now I have post form filling in blues as we've spent the best part of 3 days writing out the difficulties I have They had better not lose the fucker!

 

[Bakunin]

Now I have post form filling in blues as we've spent the best part of 3 days writing out the difficulties I have

As my esteemed fellow poster and bit of posh Toggle will no doubt tell you, I absolutely hate having to list all the bits of me that don't work properly and the mental aspects of that are particularly upsetting because its a never-ending list of reminders of exactly why I don't and can't fit in with normal people.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

10 hrs over 3 days with 2 peoples help and my DLA renewal form is finally ready to go off tomorrow. Now I have post form filling in blues as we've spent the best part of 3 days writing out the difficulties I have They had better not lose the fucker!

and take a bloody copy! (even if you only keep it electronically)

(this will also help make sure you remember to tell the ATOS 'health professional*' all the stuff you have put on the form.)

* - whatever the heck that means

 

[Frances Lengel]

As my esteemed fellow poster and bit of posh Toggle will no doubt tell you, I absolutely hate having to list all the bits of me that don't work properly and the mental aspects of that are particularly upsetting because its a never-ending list of reminders of exactly why I don't and can't fit in with normal people.

I don't know if this'll help & I honestly don't mean it as a pisstake - But embrace the bits of you that don't work - They're what make you have something in common with Waylon Jennings in that song in which he sang "Well, I got my name painted on my shirt, I aint no ordinary dude, I don't ha-ave to work". You aint no ordinary dude & you don't have to work - A thing worth celebrating in my book.

FWIW there's no loss of dignity in putting down all the things that make you dysfunctional (or whatever you want to call it) on a DWP form, not in my eyes anyway - They don't give a toss whether you tell them your most intimate details or retain a stiff upper lip attitude - All you are is an NI number to them, and all they'll do is process your form and pass you or fail you according to the info you give them. So, the way I see it, it's your duty to yourself and the ones you love to write down every detail in order to get the butty you're entitled to - And there's no shame in guilding the lilly a bit if that gets you jam on the butty.

 

[equationgirl]

As my esteemed fellow poster and bit of posh Toggle will no doubt tell you, I absolutely hate having to list all the bits of me that don't work properly and the mental aspects of that are particularly upsetting because its a never-ending list of reminders of exactly why I don't and can't fit in with normal people.

Nobody wants people to focus on only the negative aspects of themselves. I am more that the sum of my medical conditions, as are you.
{{{Bakunin}}}

 

[toggle]

Nobody wants people to focus on only the negative aspects of themselves. I am more that the sum of my medical conditions, as are you.
{{{Bakunin}}}

he is so in trouble for calling me his 'bit of posh' though.

 

[spirals]

As my esteemed fellow poster and bit of posh Toggle will no doubt tell you, I absolutely hate having to list all the bits of me that don't work properly and the mental aspects of that are particularly upsetting because its a never-ending list of reminders of exactly why I don't and can't fit in with normal people.

I think it would be a little bit easier if we knew we were going to get a fair hearing. Knowing what we do about atos just makes it all worse. I look at what has changed in my life, see my physical problems and needs/disabilities laid bare and think of the huge impact my conditions have on me and those who care about/for me and what could have been and they are going to look at it all and probably just stamp nil points all over it.