Privatedoctor medical evidence recognised by ATOS?

Does anyone know if medical evidence from reputable private doctors, such as psychiatrists and counsellors, for mental health problems is recognised by ATOS or not?

I know that the DWP (for ESA and DLA) requires medical certificates from only NHS GPs or psychiatrists on specific paper, as private doctors do not possess the official pad of paper to write medical certificates on.

However, does medical evidence for ATOS, given alongside the ATOS pre medical questionnaire (ESA50), have to be written by only NHS doctors, or will they accept medical evidence from private doctors also?

As the NHS often does not provide a good service for mental health issues people might choose to go private but then they are not on the NHS system, and it would be a worry if private medical evdidence is not recognised by ATOS or the DWP and therefore worthelss.

StrokeofInsight wrote:

Does anyone know if medical evidence from reputable private doctors, such as psychiatrists and counsellors, for mental health problems is recognised by ATOS or not?

I know that the DWP (for ESA and DLA) requires medical certificates from only NHS GPs or psychiatrists on specific paper, as private doctors do not possess the official pad of paper to write medical certificates on.

However, does medical evidence for ATOS, given alongside the ATOS pre medical questionnaire (ESA50), have to be written by only NHS doctors, or will they accept medical evidence from private doctors also?

As the NHS often does not provide a good service for mental health issues people might choose to go private but then they are not on the NHS system, and it would be a worry if private medical evdidence is not recognised by ATOS or the DWP and therefore worthelss.

Hi S,

You can provide evidence, medical or otherwise from any relevant source that you can obtain it.

A medical report from a private HCP should be treated with the same relevance as one obtained from an NHS source.

Otherwise the intimation would be that the private HCP has in some way been coerced to provide the report by payment.

Likewise, it is quite common for claimants to submit letters of support from carers or relatives who know how a the claimant's limitations effect them on a daily basis.

We recently had a member who has obtained a private OT report, see :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=vie...id=10&id=94166#94166

bro58