Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support

[ViolentPanda]

Pedantically, you are, of course, correct. But speaking colloquially, I very much doubt this is true. Contracts work both ways.

Contracts only work both ways when both parties to the contract are equally fit to formulate such a contract. As it is, we know that the government lawyers haven't been up to the task of even assuring fair value in PFI. What makes you think that this contract iss any different?

 

[Quartz]

Contracts only work both ways when both parties to the contract are equally fit to formulate such a contract. As it is, we know that the government lawyers haven't been up to the task of even assuring fair value in PFI. What makes you think that this contract iss any different?

Because the Tories are right bastards who won't hesitate to screw ATOS if they can be convinced it's to their political advantage. That last, generating the political will, is the difficult bit.

 

[Frances Lengel]

Wrong emphasis, IMO. Often not sacked per se but, like the Old Bill, encouraged to leave. Sacking would mean a black mark on the employee's CV, and costly administration for the former employer.

I've often thought professional type jobs are an easier gig for the incompetant - If you're, say, an order picker and you're unable to make your pick rates you'll be latered at the earliest opportunity, but if you're a professional and you're shit at you're job you'll likely as not be shunted off into some backwater position where you can't do much harm but, crucially, you'll still be getting paid every month.

 

[ericjarvis]

Do you have any views on why you think that might be?

The same reason that the DWP doesn't have any way of monitoring the performance of ATOS at the level of the individual assessments, even down to not being able to check that the assessments are performed by genuine medical professionals. ATOS have given a lot of money to the political parties and it's the unwritten contract that has precedence. ATOS get to soak the taxpayer, the political parties get to spend millions on advertising and don't go bust. Everybody that matters is happy, and as far as they are concerned the rest of us can just eff off.

 

[existentialist]

The same reason that the DWP doesn't have any way of monitoring the performance of ATOS at the level of the individual assessments, even down to not being able to check that the assessments are performed by genuine medical professionals. ATOS have given a lot of money to the political parties and it's the unwritten contract that has precedence. ATOS get to soak the taxpayer, the political parties get to spend millions on advertising and don't go bust. Everybody that matters is happy, and as far as they are concerned the rest of us can just eff off.

I was asking Quartz, because he seems to be showing himself to be a bit of a master at the old hit'n'run opining thing, but I quite like your explanation, too

 

[equationgirl]

I've often thought professional type jobs are an easier gig for the incompetant - If you're, say, an order picker and you're unable to make your pick rates you'll be latered at the earliest opportunity, but if you're a professional and you're shit at you're job you'll likely as not be shunted off into some backwater position where you can't do much harm but, crucially, you'll still be getting paid every month.

Couldn't agree more. I work with some people who are still here despite being unable to properly the staff and work under their control, whilst one administrator lost their job purely because their own line manager didn't understand what they did. They were so good at what they did they just got on with the job and caused no problems.

 

[yardbird]

I've been having a tidy and found ATOS related things at Lees House in Brighton.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

 

[Greebo]

One fire door looks borked and the other one shouldn't have been wedged open.

 

[yardbird]

Note above
the broken fire exit door
The illegally jammed open fire door
The little corner at the punters entrance where I found a sharp

I phoned "customer relations"

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

One fire door looks borked and the other one shouldn't have been wedged open.

Oh, you mean that's at ATOS Assessment Centre?

 

[yardbird]

Oh, you mean that's at ATOS Assessment Centre?

yes, sorry. trying to send their transcript of my call.
no joy yet

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

yes, sorry. trying to send their transcript of my call.
no joy yet

I see. Trying to send their transcript of your call to where?

eta: It's alright. I'm guessing you took those photos of an assessment centre a while ago and have been on phone to them since and you're sending photos as evidence

















or something

 

[yardbird]

Sorry I'm messing up.
This was the start of me battling with ATOS in '09

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Sorry I'm messing up.
This was the start of me battling with ATOS in '09

Not to worry, dealing with ATOS does things to your sanity

 

[Bakunin]

More from Philip Hensher, twunt extraordinaire:

http://www.afteratos.com/?p=2856

 

[equationgirl]

More from Philip Hensher, twunt extraordinaire:

http://www.afteratos.com/?p=2856

He sounds delightful.

 

[oryx]

Campaigning group 38 Degrees have emailed people asking for ATOS horror stories - don't know if this might be of interest to anyone here (sorry for craply done quote and I'm not a member, just signed a few of their petitions):

For hundreds of thousands of sick and disabled people, being called in by ATOS to be assessed for whether they are fit to work is a terrifying experience. What makes it even more terrifying is the fact that ATOS keeps getting it wrong. [1] ATOS’ deeply flawed system has led to thousands of people being forced to try to work when they physically can’t.

So far the government has failed to deal with the big mistakes ATOS repeatedly makes. It has done little to sort out the disability benefit tests which medical experts have described as ‘not fit for purpose’. [2]

Personal stories can often be the most powerful tool in persuading politicians to do the right thing. Michael Meacher, MP, is arranging a meeting with Iain Duncan Smith, Minister for Work and Pensions who has the power to sort out these problems. So he needs stories of ATOS getting it wrong to help convince him to act.

Can you help? Have you or someone you know been tested by ATOS? Would you be happy to share your experience? The more people who share their stories, the more powerful the message to the minister.

Help Michael Meacher convince Iain Duncan Smith to stand up to ATOS. Send in your story:
belinda-atos@38degrees.org.uk

Michael Meacher recently held a debate in parliament about ATOS’ work capability assessments. He talked about one of his voters who had been told he could work by ATOS and had his benefits cut. The 24 year old, who suffered from severe epilepsy, appealed, but was worried and depressed about how to pay his rent or buy food. [3]

Three months after seeing ATOS he died from a major seizure. The month after his death, his parents were informed that a mistake had been made and his benefits were being restored.

Iain Duncan Smith has the power to stand up to ATOS and demand these tests are changed. But so far he hasn’t been convinced. Michael Meacher is trying to set up a meeting with him to change this. He is going to present a dossier of stories from sick and disabled people who have been told they are fit to work.

Many sick and disabled people would love to work, but due to their illness they simply can’t. ATOS needs to change the way it assesses people, but they will only do this if forced to by the government.

Share your story:
belinda-atos@38degrees.org.uk

 

[Frankie Jack]

Atos GP Extraction Service

What does GPES do?

GPES will provide the data for all nationally sponsored initiatives that require data from GP clinical systems. In addition it will support and enable the NHS Information Centre’s new role as the single body authorised to conduct national data collections, as required by the Health and Social Care Act 2011.

What benefits does GPES bring?

GPES has the potential to improve patient care by collecting and coordinating vital information from across general practice clinical systems in England. By making this information available to the NHS and other approved organisations, GPES can support a diverse range of improvements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses.

 

[Frankie Jack]

Will there be anyone in the UK that hasn't been Atossed in one form or another..

 

[equationgirl]

Will there be anyone in the UK that hasn't been Atossed in one form or another..

Probably not at this rate.

 

[ericjarvis]

Will there be anyone in the UK that hasn't been Atossed in one form or another..

Remember the whole point of this entire fiasco is to scare people into buying unemployment insurance. Everyone who does that is also a victim. So it's going to end up being a huge proportion of the population screwed up by ATOS and UNUM with the aid of the craven greedy thugs we have in lieu of politicians.

 

[toggle]

that's one point, not the only point.

it also scares people into accepting shit rather than be unemployed. i'm fairly certain the terms i'm working under aren't legal. but it gives me enough income so we don't have to claim, either me on JSA (i'd probably be fucked about as a part time student) or for him to have to go back onto ESA.and i know in some ways that's letting the side down, but I will make no apologies for making sure my family have a roof over their heads and bakunin won't get fucked over by atos again. i've seen the change in him in the last year. I will do whatever i have to in order to make sure that isn't undone.

but i'm not the only one. more and more people will accept being treated like crap by employers. I've seen many stories about some of the shite americans have put up with to keep their medical insurance. they want people to accept being treated like crap. it's the way their mates will get round employment rights legislation. people accepted paycuts to keep their jobs. there's a lot of legal cuts to terms and cnditions. a lot of us will be facing illegal ones as well. and ther's fuck all most of us can do about that.

we're also being set up to be shamed if we loose the job/quit. A lot of employment here is seasonal. I shouldn't have to be ashamed that there isn't the work available here in the winter and I'm lucky to have what i have. but i'm 'underemployed' and the gvt is setting me up so that people will beleive this is through choice. never mind i was working 70 hour weeks(at times illegally long shifts) when there was work. but the gvt is portraying underemployment as a lifestyle choice, that i'm working only enough to keep the dwp off my back and i'm happy to subsist on benefits and that i'm a fucking lasy scrounger. never mind that wages are so fucking shit that I qualifed for top ups even when i was working those long shifts.

we'e being set up so the community will bully the un and underemployed and employers can fuck us over.

 

[Frances Lengel]

that's one point, not the only point.

<snip>

we'e being set up so the community will bully the un and underemployed and employers can fuck us over.

That can't be stressed enough. All these trumpets who write to newspapers going on about however many hours they work for minimum wage or whatever while scroungers live the life of riley etc don't seem to realise they'd be working a hell of a lot more hours for about ten p a week if it wasn't for the benefit system.

 

[toggle]

it's going back to the ideas of the deserving and undersrving poor. you have to be able to proove in the eyes of the dwp and the community that you are deserving of assistance instead of condemnation. complaining about the system being used as evidence that you are most likely to be placed in the 'undeserving' class. cause obviously anyone who was deserving would be happy to jump through dozens of useless hoops, be treated like shit and be forced to work for nothing in the hope they will be the lucky one in 500 to land that minimum wage 12 hours a week (that was a fake advertisement for an illegally internally filled vacancy)

 

[Quartz]

Remember the whole point of this entire fiasco is to scare people into buying unemployment insurance.

You mean, like, umm... what National Insurance is supposed to be?

 

[existentialist]

You mean, like, umm... what National Insurance is supposed to be?

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

 

[ericjarvis]

You mean, like, umm... what National Insurance is supposed to be?

Yep. Except that UNUM don't get to make a profit from NI. So they need some way to get people to pay for something they've already paid for. The only way of doing that is to make the thing they've already paid for completely useless.

 

[existentialist]

Yep. Except that UNUM don't get to make a profit from NI. So they need some way to get people to pay for something they've already paid for. The only way of doing that is to make the thing they've already paid for completely useless.

And then, when they are some way down that road, to say "hey, you don't need that creaky State NI system, you might as well privatise it, and seeing as we already have x% of the market, we might as well run it"

 

[ericjarvis]

And then, when they are some way down that road, to say "hey, you don't need that creaky State NI system, you might as well privatise it, and seeing as we already have x% of the market, we might as well run it"

Only when they have the personal/company unemployment insurance market saturated. There's a lot of scaring the middle class to go yet. Then when pretty much everyone self employed and earning a decent living has taken out a plan with UNUM we'll see the pressure turn to legislation to force companies to take out unemployment for their workers. Finally they will privatise the rump of the welfare system.