Important Advice for the Atos Medical Examination: Beware the warm smile and the gentle voice!

I was at the SHP blog workshop on Friday when a conversation began about the Atos medical examination and about the assessment procedure. One of the participants in the conversation had recently been for a medical examination she had taken a friend to observe the procedure. Her friend began taking notes at which point the examiner told the person to stop as it is not allowed.

That was wrong.

The following hyperlink will send you to a page for information regarding the Atos medical examination: Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty

I have met some of the people involved with the coalition at conferences in London. They are all volunteers who work and give their time to fight against the way the common person is treated and made to suffer for the mistakes of the establishment such as the banks and the failed policies of various governments.  

Below are a couple of extracts from the site. Please remember although this information comes from an Edinburgh based organisation the same applies all over Britain.

The Edinburgh Coalition against Poverty:

The person accompanying you should take a pen and paper and also a watch. If possible, take a tape recorder. Peter Mathison, then Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, has stated that the taping of medical examinations can be carried out. Take your medicines, and any aids you use, such as a walking stick or crutches.

If you are accompanying a claimant, then you should;

Write down the name of the medical professional, their qualification e.g. if they are a nurse, doctor or physiotherapist, the place of examination, the time of starting and finishing the examination.

Take notes on everything the Doctor and the claimant say, what the Doctor asks the claimant to do, what happens. Especially note any aggressive attitude or manner adopted by the Doctor. Note the exact words spoken.

Intervene and ask for the examination to be halted if the claimant becomes unwell or distressed. The claimant should have a break until they feel well enough to continue.

Object to and stop any attempt by the Doctor to have the claimant do exercises which could injure or distress them. You should have the examination stopped if the claimant is becoming ill or distressed for any reason. If the claimant is not fit to continue then the examination should be postponed until another day.

If the claimant's distress is due to mistreatment by the doctor, stop the interview, then say that you will be making a complaint with a request for an examination at a future date with a different medical professional.

Time the length of the examination and any breaks taken (some medical professionals have been known to exaggerate the length of time of the examination to make it appear more thorough than it was).

At the end of the examination ask the medical professional to read back their notes, to check they made an accurate record. If the medical professional refuses, then note that and what reason he/she gives for refusing. If there seem to be any inaccuracies in the notes, check with the claimant, then if necessary ask the Doctor to change their notes. If they refuse then make a note of that, writing down exactly what they said. (C) Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty

I will also add be wary of any ploy the examiner may employ to catch you out.

I have heard of the examiner dropping a pen and then waiting for the claimant to pick it up. Naturally if it is near you may pick it up as an act of courtesy. DO NOT.  The examiner will take this as a positive move that you can bend down and pick up a pen in your hand this movement will be assessed as an eye to hand co-ordination, able to bend down and grasp an implement in your hand and get back up without feeling dizzy.

Beware the warm smile and the gentle voice!!!

One other thing: always get help in filling in the Atos assessment medical examination form.  For anyone in the London Boroughs of Camden or Islington try the Margaret Centre in Hampstead Rd at the Old Temperance Hospital nr North Gower St,  Drummond St and Euston station.

I hope you find this of use.

--McTaggart