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ATOS postponed Medical(Again!)No Doctors/Gone Home

  • James
  • Topic Author
10 years 9 months ago - 10 years 9 months ago #106760 by James
First the facts:
We attended ATOSs' Assessment Centre at the arranged time for a confirmed in writing Medical only to be told in person that there were no Doctors(Note the plural)available and could we therefore come back at a future date.?
This is our first Face to Face actual contact with ATOS and it has made us much more cynical.
The dreadedMedical was therefore postponed for up to a month.
Yipee!Its sunny next week.
(What ATOS Doctors chose to do instead of boring Medicals & implementing the no hope crazy full employment 'Travaille Obligatoire' I will leave you to figure out.
?)
Were we surprised?No not really as previous posts on here have reported a similiar situation.
To give ATOS their due The ATOS representative at the Centre did trot out a standard "Attempts were made to contact you by telephone"in advance.
However the manner of this suggested it was no big deal to cancel block bookings of up to a dozen Claimants in one afternoon that the phrase might be better issued by a speakerphone
tape machine at the press of a button!
Missed Calls was checked on the Number ATOS has nothing was shown.No recorded message was left although its said they dont.
Who knows?
Moral?If you fancy an extra extension of your Medical choose an afternoon appointment with ATOS-best time for Doctors have all gone home/never came in etc.
Question What now?The ATOS 0800 Call Centre had no further information-they reccommended confirming the new appointment this week by phone in case its marked didnt attend/case returned to DWP.Anything to watch out for ?
Also can the new appointment (it was a bit rushed what with the surprise and all)be further extended?(the original 2 'goes'have been used up)as its a new situation?
Lastly Regards to the ATOS receptionist who was a very sympo human being perhaps so much so that they almost came across like "one of us"and I mean that most sincerely if not a bit spookily.
Last edit: 10 years 9 months ago by . Reason: Tick.

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10 years 9 months ago #106765 by Gordon
James

ATOS regularly overbook their diaries as they apparently have a high drop out rate on the day, they also seem to take little account of staff sickness which further exacerbates the situation.

I would certainly contact ATOS Customer Service to confirm the new appointment.

ATOS are entitled to re-arrange the appointment as they need to, this should be at no fault to the claimant.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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  • James
  • Topic Author
10 years 9 months ago #106770 by James
OK Thanks that seems to be a regular happening then.
Are ATOS Doctors allowed to work in other jobs other than ATOS eg like Consultants
or in Private or even NHS Practice thus dividing their time?
Is there thought also to be a sort of shortage of ATOS Doctors at work,I mean at play, here?
Its a bit ironic The Judgers of the Sick themselves off Sick wouldnt you say?
Still I guess with all that stressful radio button ticking a frequent vacation or round of golf
is necessary after all they dont want to end up neurologically sick like their Clients!
Can we perhaps have more Medical Cancelled reports up on here and do a little survey to guage how often these log jams are occurring?
Thanks for the response!

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  • James
  • Topic Author
10 years 9 months ago - 10 years 9 months ago #106773 by James
PS Cant understand how was over booked as it only c.3.00pm and no sign of any Medicals going on of any waiting..the door staff were waiting to go home.
Was told quote "no longer any Doctors on premises".
Seems the Doctors finished at lunch maybe?
If over booking then surely there would have been a load of people being seen up till 6pm?
Last edit: 10 years 9 months ago by Gordon.

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10 years 9 months ago #106784 by Gordon

James wrote: PS Cant understand how was over booked as it only c.3.00pm and no sign of any Medicals going on of any waiting..the door staff were waiting to go home.
Was told quote "no longer any Doctors on premises".
Seems the Doctors finished at lunch maybe?
If over booking then surely there would have been a load of people being seen up till 6pm?


We can only explain the situation in generalities, there is simply no way that we can know what what happened to an individual claimant, attending a specific ATOS office on a particular day.

My impression is that most members comment on the forum when their assessment is delayed, whatever the reason.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems

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