Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support

[Frumious B.]

My practice manager wants £70 a letter.

FFS . If you're in Brixton I can recommend a GP.

 

[Libertad]

FFS . If you're in Brixton I can recommend a GP.

Not any longer.

 

[Frumious B.]

If you want something to make you scream with anger then here's a Health Professional with Bipolar Disorder attending their WCA:

http://purplepersuasion.wordpress.c...periences-of-atos-work-capability-assessment/

According to the benefitsandwork site it's not illegal to make a covert recording and it's admissible as evidence at your appeal. They advise you to submit the recording and a transcript well before the appeal, at the time when you first communicate your disagreement with the decision or unhappiness with the medical. I can get chapter and verse if anyone's interested. I can also lend a covert video camera and/or audio recorder. If the examiner spots the equipment they can stop the medical. I don't suppose you would lose your right to another medical, but it could delay the whole process considerably. And your card would be marked, so you'd need to get ATOS to make an official recording of the next medical, which could delay things by many more moons.

 

[treelover]

Still hard to believe that Steve Cram, who still calls himself a socialist, is an ATOS ambassador to the para-olympics...

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Still hard to believe that Steve Cram, who still calls himself a socialist, is an ATOS ambassador to the para-olympics...

Isn't it quite possible (and probable) that many many people aren't aware of what exactly ATOS are up to? It's not like the assessments have been widely publicised by the press

 

[Mephitic]

Isn't it quite possible (and probable) that many many people aren't aware of what exactly ATOS are up to? It's not like the assessments have been widely publicised by the press

For sure, i wouldnt know what ATOS were doing if i hadn't read about it on this forum, however it does appear that DPAC were contacting Cram about their concerns some time ago, check the dates on the comments​

​

EDIT: *I'm a bit gutted actually, i had held Cram in high regard & recently posted his pic in the my sporting heroes thread.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

For sure, i wouldnt know what ATOS were doing if i hadn't read about it on this forum, however it does appear that DPAC were contacting Cram about their concerns some time ago, check the dates on the comments​

Oh

Bearing in mind the increasingly voluble and angry voices of disabled people and their allies, we wonder if being an ambassador to Atos is worth the disappointment of the public and loss of the reputation you would have built over the years.

I doubt a few disabled people pissed off with him is going to make him bother about his reputation

 

[tufty79]

My practice manager wants £70 a letter.

i was shocked yesterday at a friend being charged £15. but £70?? that's ridiculous.

 

[ViolentPanda]

i was shocked yesterday at a friend being charged £15. but £70?? that's ridiculous.

Varies from surgery to surgery, unfortunately, and there's no established upper ceiling, IIRC.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Varies from surgery to surgery, unfortunately, and there's no established upper ceiling, IIRC.

Seems to me that's something that needs to be addressed as that's outrageous

Friend's doctor used to charge £10 for a letter to go on holiday with listing his meds which we were happy to pay, but if he tried to charge £70, I'd change surgeries immediately

 

[Libertad]

Seems to me that's something that needs to be addressed as that's outrageous

Friend's doctor used to charge £10 for a letter to go on holiday with listing his meds which we were happy to pay, but if he tried to charge £70, I'd change surgeries immediately

Not as easy as that in a small rural community though. We have a 'progressive' surgery where the partners have decided to embrace the 'market opportunities' made available to them.
Everything has a price now. Here Serco rules.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Not as easy as that in a small rural community though. We have a 'progressive' surgery where the partners have decided to embrace the 'market opportunities' made available to them.
Everything has a price now. Here Serco rules.

'progressive' as in makes them progressively richer?

 

[audiotech]

Socialist Worker:

Action against ATOS

Trade unionists: Time to send only one email this week? Send a solidarity message to DPAC for their actions against ATOS mail@dpac.uk.net
The protests against Atos, headed by Disabled People Against Cuts, (DPAC), could be a real highlight as the Paralympics begins.
As well as the big day in London on Friday 31 August, there are lots of other protests across Britain, most on 28 August.
So far we know of ones in Birmingham, Manchester, Plymouth, Swansea, Lancaster, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Northampton, Sheffield and Southampton. There are details at www.dpac.uk.net
Manke sure you’re involved! The overall plan is:
• Monday 27th: DPAC spoof Paralympic awards ceremony.
• Tuesday 28th: Pay a visit to your local Atos office – and maybe even take your protest inside!
• Wednesday 29th: A coffin full of your messages about Atos will be delivered to its doorstep.
• Thursday 30th: Phone jam! Let’s flood Atos with calls, and generate a Twitter-storm they can’t ignore!
• Then on Friday 31st at 12.45pm, join us in London where DPAC is teaming up with UK Uncut for the Grand Finale – an audacious, daring and disruptive action. Protesters are seeking to shut down the Atos headquarters, Triton Square, London NW1 3HG

http://www.dpac.uk.net/

 

[ViolentPanda]

Seems to me that's something that needs to be addressed as that's outrageous

Friend's doctor used to charge £10 for a letter to go on holiday with listing his meds which we were happy to pay, but if he tried to charge £70, I'd change surgeries immediately

TBF my doc didn't charge anything for the letter listing my meds, but that's because Greebo and I wrote it out in English, German and French, printed it, and I just got the doc to sign it. Mind you, if she'd asked for a tenner, I would have paid.

 

[WouldBe]

I am thinking of going to the NHS Ombudsman about all this, clearly medical evidence is now a prequisite for a successful outcome, if you are denied that or have to pay exhortionate fees than something is wrong..

Just get a copy of your notes using a data protection act request. The max they can charge you is £10. Scan the relevant pages, black out the bits you don't want ATOS / DWP to see, print out and send in

 

[WouldBe]

I can get chapter and verse if anyone's interested.

Yes please as I have a covert recording of my ATOS medical.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

TBF my doc didn't charge anything for the letter listing my meds, but that's because Greebo and I wrote it out in English, German and French, printed it, and I just got the doc to sign it. Mind you, if she'd asked for a tenner, I would have paid.

Shouldn't have paid him really considering how poorly laid-out and the misspellings in it

 

[treelover]

Just get a copy of your notes using a data protection act request. The max they can charge you is £10. Scan the relevant pages, black out the bits you don't want ATOS / DWP to see, print out and send in

my notes will be massive, its a long time!

 

[Frankie Jack]

Update on Proposed New WCA Descriptors (EBR)
Call me cynical, but, another leak to Sue and Kaliya posted on their blogs. No actual links to legitimate new proposals and seemingly a week to guage reaction to them.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Update on Proposed New WCA Descriptors (EBR)
Call me cynical, but, another leak to Sue and Kaliya posted on their blogs. No actual links to legitimate new proposals and seemingly a week to guage reaction to them.

Interesting, although not sure how this would work

Has significant difficulty navigating around unfamiliar surroundings, without being accompanied by another person, due to sensory impairment

for someone with memory loss. I still wouldn't be able to tick any of the boxes

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Learning a new task is much better than old question

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Tasks is interesting

[5] Tasks to be defined/ examples given

[6] Note: As an initial indicator of the level of tasks, provisional definitions of tasks could include toe following (will need further work and consultation with Mencap):

- Simple task – photocopying a single piece of paper, sweeping up

- Moderately complex task – taking a simple phone message, finding a particular item of food in a supermarket

- Complex task – ?? searching a database,working a till, taking minutes

No improvement there for people with a brain injury. They might have used a broom before injury but never have used a photocopier so therefore unable to learn how to do it. Even if they hadn't used a broom, it's a lot easier than knowing how to put the paper the right way up in the photocopier and pressing the correct button and dealing with paper jams and loading paper

 

[Frankie Jack]

Still seems very generalised to me and so far responders are finding their ilness/disability is still not addressed, like you pointed out minnie.

 

[Frankie Jack]

Tasks is interesting



No improvement there for people with a brain injury. They might have used a broom before injury but never have used a photocopier so therefore unable to learn how to do it. Even if they hadn't used a broom, it's a lot easier than knowing how to put the paper the right way up in the photocopier and pressing the correct button and dealing with paper jams and loading paper

Now isn't that a VERY work orientated question............

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Now isn't that a VERY work orientated question............

Unlike, "can you set an alarm clock", without specifying whether it was a digital one or not

 

[Frankie Jack]

Soooo, it covers ability to be a cleaner, an office gofor and a shelf stacker. Great news for those who may have been university professors or aeronaugtics engineers pre brain injury.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Soooo, it covers ability to be a cleaner, an office gofor and a shelf stacker. Great news for those who may have been university professors or aeronaugtics engineers pre brain injury.

That's assuming they don't also have difficulty walking

 

[Frankie Jack]

That's assuming they don't also have difficulty walking

It's all a fecking farce minnie. Just rearranging/changing and adding words to make a vile concoction taste sweeter. The more minds are focussed on amendments the less on getting rid of the WCA. I'm putting all my effort and thought into The Scottish Governments decision to oppose the WRA and the fight for Independence from Westminster bastards completely.

I'll clear out the spare room and cellar for all who may wish to flee here..

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

It's all a fecking farce minnie. Just rearranging/changing and adding words to make a vile concoction taste sweeter. The more minds are focussed on amendments the less on getting rid of the WCA. I'm putting all my effort and thought into The Scottish Governments decision to oppose the WRA and the fight for Independence from Westminster bastards completely.

I'll clear out the spare room and cellar for all who may wish to flee here..

Would love to, but the Scottish weather doesn't agree with me

 

[Frankie Jack]

Would love to, but the Scottish weather doesn't agree with me

Me neither......and I live here *sigh*