Doctors Medical Report To Atos

I am an alcoholic who was drinking 300 units a week. I approached my GP for a letter regarding my fitness for work. He faxed a letter to Atos detailing that my alchoholism and depression would make me vunerable to be a danger to myself and others. He stated that he therefore requested that you consider this man's disability claim under the exceptional circumatances regulations. I recieved a letter from Atos on Saturday morning stating that they had recieved no more information... in other words they wete ignoring my doctors letter. I compalined yesterday and today I had a phone call from Atos in Leeds who has spoken to a doctor in Cardif, who stated that the letter faxed from the surgery was not on a official letterhead. I asked are you accusing me of fraud as that was how it seemed. I have a copy of the letter which I paid £25 for and it is on the Surgeries letterhead. I am nnow waiting for a call from a manager in Cardiff as I am intending to make a foraml complaint. The arrorgance of Atos astounds me!

hi everyone can you advise .my gp as informed atos that because of my alcolism he beleives i qualify under the exceptional circumstances regulations if atos agree they are saying i still need to attend amedical .is this correct ps i also need aleft knee replacement diabetic severe diverticulitis .reactive arthritus and spondyliyus of my neck .all of this information was provided to them i have now made a complaint regards peter

Peter wrote:

hi everyone can you advise .my gp as informed atos that because of my alcolism he beleives i qualify under the exceptional circumstances regulations if atos agree they are saying i still need to attend amedical .is this correct ps i also need aleft knee replacement diabetic severe diverticulitis .reactive arthritus and spondyliyus of my neck .all of this information was provided to them i have now made a complaint regards peter

Hi P,

Unfortunately ATOS or The DWP do not have to take advice from a person's G.P. or other treating HCP.

In fact, in a lot of cases they are totally ignoring it.

See this extract, from Page 41 of The WCA Handbook :



2.7.2 The Role of the Atos Healthcare HCP.

The Atos Healthcare HCP will provide advice to the Decision Maker using all their skills as a Disability Analyst. They will review all the evidence on file and provide advice on likely functional implications of any medical evidence provided. The HCP must take into account that the primary role of the GP or hospital doctor is to diagnose and treat any medical conditions that the patient/claimant presents to them. Any information or medical report that the doctor provides to the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to disability benefits is a purely secondary activity to his therapeutic role. A clinician does not routinely consider the functional restrictions or disabling effects of the medical conditions that they treat. They must take into consideration that the clinician may have no specific training in assessing disabilities in their medical education, and may have considerable difficulty in giving an accurate assessment or forming an opinion in relation to the functional restrictions experienced by their patient. In addition clinicians usually have, at best, very limited knowledge of entitlement criteria to ESA through the WCA.

Atos Healthcare practitioners are specifically trained in the assessment of disability. By evaluating the clinical history, the physical examination and informal observations in the light of the claimant's daily activities, the medical disability analyst is able to provide an accurate and consistent assessment of the functional restrictions. This assessment is based on the HCP’s medical training and expertise, and a body of established medical knowledge and opinion. The HCP is able to advise the DM on restrictions arising from the disabling condition(s).....etc, etc.

The WCA Handbook can be accessed from the 7th Link down this page :

ESA Guides

However, if you can show that important evidence has not been taken into account by The DWP DM in coming to any adverse ESA decision, any extra evidence that you may provide can only help.

bro58