ATOS ignoring specific requests

Thank you Gordon, for the explanation.

My specific request for an AM appointment was to give me the best chance of getting there (12 miles) with the least pain (which increases as the day progresses) and least anxiety.

Seeing the appointment time for 3.35pm angered me to say the least.

Thanks again.

I am deaf and I requested special help from atos - an induction hearing loop - on the form. When they phoned me it was established that this was in place. On arrival,the receptionist confirmed that it was in place. You know what I'm going to say so fill in the rest yourself. The medical took nearly 2hrs as I couldn't hear. I complained to the doctor formally afterwards and put it in writing but since I passed (30points) didn't bother to push it in the end.
I wish I had bothered. Good luck with your letter to your MP ... I think you have a good case. Please push it for the rest of us

And I have pointed out in my daughters form that she needs an interpreter to translate from gobbledegook (actually said ordinary English - but to her it is gobbledegook) to simple english - no jargon, one idea per sentence, slow clear delivery because of down's syndrome and that I will act as interpreter.

stressed extra time is vital for her to stand any chance of understanding anything, for me to make notes as well as translate and that this is a reasonable adjustment under the DDA

not holding breath

This is an update to my previous post. Originally, I was ignored when I made a specific request for a morning appointment. This is how the day of the appointment unfolded:

Accompanied by my wife, I made myself available at the assessment centre at 3.05 pm, well in advance of my scheduled appointment of 3.25pm.

I queued with others at the reception area and when requested to do so, I completed the requisite forms produced for me to fill.

I then enquired as to why, despite a written request to be considered for a morning appointment, I was allocated an appointment in the late afternoon. I explained, as in my previous letter to them, that my condition worsens significantly as the day progresses and that I had not unreasonably attempted to prevent being inconvenienced to a point where I was suffering unnecessarily, both with pain and anxiety. By this time I was enduring significantly increased levels of pain.

The receptionist was unable to answer my query, merely stating that appointments are allocated from elsewhere, from a department outside her jurisdiction. I made it known to her that I was dissatisfied with the arrangements, but whilst she offered sympathy, she was unable to explain how or why the situation had arisen. She agreed with me, that having made such a request, my wishes should have been considered when appointments were being made. Sadly, they were not.

I was then directed to a crowded waiting room and advised to wait until my name was called.

The time now was shortly after 3.10 pm and other people were steadily arriving.

It quickly became apparent from conversations taking place at reception, that people arriving for scheduled appointments were being turned away and their appointments summarily cancelled simply with the explanation that there was now insufficient time left in the day and insufficient numbers of staff available to either see the patients or complete their appointments.

From memory at least 9 attending individuals were told to come back on future dates, some as far away as late July. Their individual pleas and circumstances were not considered and none of them was allowed to remain on site to be seen by ATOS staff. Needless to say, some patients were quite vocal in their protestations. However, all were denied the opportunity to wait and were simply turned away.

After a period of over 1 hour and 15 minutes in the waiting room, at 4.25 pm, I was summoned to the reception desk whereupon I was advised that my appointment had now been cancelled, because there were no doctors available to see me, and that in any case the premises closed at 5.00 pm. Therefore I would need to return on a subsequent date. Quite why it had taken an extra 1 hour and 20 minutes after my arrival to tell me this, remains a mystery. To say that I was angry, would be a gross understatement.

I was already in considerable pain because of the length of time I had been made to wait, indeed it was necessary for me to take extra pain relief medication whilst in the waiting area, such was the increase in pain caused by (a) the lateness of the day, compounded by (b) the failure to accede to my request for a morning appointment and (c) the unacceptable duration of what was now evidently an entirely avoidable period of waiting.

I begged the receptionist to allow me to stay until whatever time was necessary to complete the appointment, but she was adamant that I would not be seen, no matter how much I pleaded. The premises close at 5.00 pm, there was insufficient time to fulfil my appointment and no staff available to see me. That, she said, was the end of the matter.

I was so distraught at this state of affairs that my wife had to intervene on my behalf. Her pleas also fell on deaf ears and it was abundantly clear that there was to be no possibility that I would be seen that day.

In the circumstances, my wife had absolutely no option but to make a further appointment on my behalf for late June at 10.20 am and we then had to leave the premises and we made our way home. At least I got a morning appointment !

This dreadful, traumatic experience has shattered me both physically and mentally. Not content with ignoring my specific and quite proper request for an earlier appointment, ATOS compound the situation by treating me in a wholly unacceptable way which was entirely avoidable.

As a direct result of this utter fiasco, I have suffered increased levels of pain and anxiety for no good reason. It has taken over 48 hours for me to recover from this experience and I needed extra pain relief in the meantime which I would not otherwise have needed had I not been made to travel on this pointless "wild goose chase". ATOS are entirely responsible for my needless extra suffering.

When I originally submitted my form ESA50 for consideration I was also advised to send any other "useful information" at the same time, that would assist my claim and help the examiner. I therefore enclosed a whole sheaf of other documents giving full accounts of my medical conditions and the way in which they affect me on a daily basis. I also furnished details of all my currently prescribed medication and a hand-written letter from my G.P., supporting my claim and in which he clearly stated that in his opinion I was unfit for work of any kind. As he has treated me for a period of 20 years, he obviously has an in depth knowledge of my medical history and current medical conditions and treatment.

My doctor also provided me with copies of other documents for me to include, which I did. Notwithstanding the fact that ATOS staff ignored my request for an appointment early in the day, if anyone at ATOS had been bothered to even cursorily look at the submitted documents, they would have realised just how I might have been affected by having to travel to their examination centre. Clearly, they couldn't be bothered to do so or simply didn't care sufficiently to even look at the papers I sent. A shocking state of affairs.

There is absolutely no excuse for ATOS, (a Government approved organisation and who are being paid from the public purse), to treat people in this way and the experience I have undergone is both unforgettable and unforgivable. All it has succeeded in doing is making my next visit even more traumatic as I wonder what will be in store. Already I am thinking about it, when I shouldn't be.

I have made a formal written complaint to ATOS and I have contacted my M.P., who has also written to them in support of my complaint.

I await their response, but have not ruled out taking the matter further. I note that in all correspondence from ATOS/DWP we are told - threatened - that if we fail to attend appointments or comply with their instructions, there will be sanctions including 'loss of benefits'.

I think there should also be sanctions when ATOS treat people like dirt without regard for their personal circumstances.

Watch this space........................

Tom_Cobbley wrote: This is an update to my previous post. Originally, I was ignored when I made a specific request for a morning appointment. This is how the day of the appointment unfolded:

Accompanied by my wife, I made myself available at the assessment centre at 3.05 pm, well in advance of my scheduled appointment of 3.25pm.

I queued with others at the reception area and when requested to do so, I completed the requisite forms produced for me to fill.

I then enquired as to why, despite a written request to be considered for a morning appointment, I was allocated an appointment in the late afternoon. I explained, as in my previous letter to them, that my condition worsens significantly as the day progresses and that I had not unreasonably attempted to prevent being inconvenienced to a point where I was suffering unnecessarily, both with pain and anxiety. By this time I was enduring significantly increased levels of pain.

The receptionist was unable to answer my query, merely stating that appointments are allocated from elsewhere, from a department outside her jurisdiction. I made it known to her that I was dissatisfied with the arrangements, but whilst she offered sympathy, she was unable to explain how or why the situation had arisen. She agreed with me, that having made such a request, my wishes should have been considered when appointments were being made. Sadly, they were not.

I was then directed to a crowded waiting room and advised to wait until my name was called.

The time now was shortly after 3.10 pm and other people were steadily arriving.

It quickly became apparent from conversations taking place at reception, that people arriving for scheduled appointments were being turned away and their appointments summarily cancelled simply with the explanation that there was now insufficient time left in the day and insufficient numbers of staff available to either see the patients or complete their appointments.

From memory at least 9 attending individuals were told to come back on future dates, some as far away as late July. Their individual pleas and circumstances were not considered and none of them was allowed to remain on site to be seen by ATOS staff. Needless to say, some patients were quite vocal in their protestations. However, all were denied the opportunity to wait and were simply turned away.

After a period of over 1 hour and 15 minutes in the waiting room, at 4.25 pm, I was summoned to the reception desk whereupon I was advised that my appointment had now been cancelled, because there were no doctors available to see me, and that in any case the premises closed at 5.00 pm. Therefore I would need to return on a subsequent date. Quite why it had taken an extra 1 hour and 20 minutes after my arrival to tell me this, remains a mystery. To say that I was angry, would be a gross understatement.

I was already in considerable pain because of the length of time I had been made to wait, indeed it was necessary for me to take extra pain relief medication whilst in the waiting area, such was the increase in pain caused by (a) the lateness of the day, compounded by (b) the failure to accede to my request for a morning appointment and (c) the unacceptable duration of what was now evidently an entirely avoidable period of waiting.

I begged the receptionist to allow me to stay until whatever time was necessary to complete the appointment, but she was adamant that I would not be seen, no matter how much I pleaded. The premises close at 5.00 pm, there was insufficient time to fulfil my appointment and no staff available to see me. That, she said, was the end of the matter.

I was so distraught at this state of affairs that my wife had to intervene on my behalf. Her pleas also fell on deaf ears and it was abundantly clear that there was to be no possibility that I would be seen that day.

In the circumstances, my wife had absolutely no option but to make a further appointment on my behalf for late June at 10.20 am and we then had to leave the premises and we made our way home. At least I got a morning appointment !

This dreadful, traumatic experience has shattered me both physically and mentally. Not content with ignoring my specific and quite proper request for an earlier appointment, ATOS compound the situation by treating me in a wholly unacceptable way which was entirely avoidable.

As a direct result of this utter fiasco, I have suffered increased levels of pain and anxiety for no good reason. It has taken over 48 hours for me to recover from this experience and I needed extra pain relief in the meantime which I would not otherwise have needed had I not been made to travel on this pointless "wild goose chase". ATOS are entirely responsible for my needless extra suffering.

When I originally submitted my form ESA50 for consideration I was also advised to send any other "useful information" at the same time, that would assist my claim and help the examiner. I therefore enclosed a whole sheaf of other documents giving full accounts of my medical conditions and the way in which they affect me on a daily basis. I also furnished details of all my currently prescribed medication and a hand-written letter from my G.P., supporting my claim and in which he clearly stated that in his opinion I was unfit for work of any kind. As he has treated me for a period of 20 years, he obviously has an in depth knowledge of my medical history and current medical conditions and treatment.

My doctor also provided me with copies of other documents for me to include, which I did. Notwithstanding the fact that ATOS staff ignored my request for an appointment early in the day, if anyone at ATOS had been bothered to even cursorily look at the submitted documents, they would have realised just how I might have been affected by having to travel to their examination centre. Clearly, they couldn't be bothered to do so or simply didn't care sufficiently to even look at the papers I sent. A shocking state of affairs.

There is absolutely no excuse for ATOS, (a Government approved organisation and who are being paid from the public purse), to treat people in this way and the experience I have undergone is both unforgettable and unforgivable. All it has succeeded in doing is making my next visit even more traumatic as I wonder what will be in store. Already I am thinking about it, when I shouldn't be.

I have made a formal written complaint to ATOS and I have contacted my M.P., who has also written to them in support of my complaint.

I await their response, but have not ruled out taking the matter further. I note that in all correspondence from ATOS/DWP we are told - threatened - that if we fail to attend appointments or comply with their instructions, there will be sanctions including 'loss of benefits'.

I think there should also be sanctions when ATOS treat people like dirt without regard for their personal circumstances.

Watch this space........................

Hi T_C,

Sorry to hear of this, although it is not an uncommon occurrence.

It is openly admitted that ATOS "Double Book" their Face to Face appointments to maintain a constant flow of claimants.

ATOS are supposed to make "Reasonable Adjustments" with regards to any such requests that are made with regards to this, prior to the assessment.

Failure to do so may mean that they are in contravention of Sections 20-22 of EA2010 :

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

Hopefully, your M.P. will be supportive of your complaint.

Please keep us updated.

bro58

Just to add that the receptionist would most likely be employed by the JobCentre Plus, not ATOS, and would have no control over the number of appointments booked or the times these are made for.