ATOS MEDICAL

[mub40]

Received my letter today .I have got my medical next month.I am dreading it after all the awful stories I have heard.

What should I take with me?

Should I take someone in with me?

I just dont know what to do?

[Tannels]

HI, I had my medical on Friday 19/5/13 just gone. When I received my letter initially, I telephoned and requested that the assessment was recorded. I was told that the recording machine had to be booked in, they telephoned me back with another dated to confirm. Also I took my husband along with me; it is always good to take someone with you who can support you and give details of your disability at the assessment. I was asked if I would get onto the couch for my physical assessment. I had to refuse, due to the difficulties I would experience afterwards and the pain that i have. The assessor accepted this. I don't know if that will go against me or what. I will have to wait for the outcome. It can be very stressful, but try not to worry and just make them aware of how you are on your worst day.

Good luck and take care.

[tessintrouble]

Be aware that the medical starts with how you travel there. It goes against you if you use public transport. They will also observe you in the waiting room before you go in. Be also aware that they look at what you CAN DO not what you can't. The "nurse" I saw actually told lies so be very careful and if you can take someone with you - all the better. I apparantly can crouch down to the floor and back up again - a total fabrication and that is just one of several disputed observations. I have put in a formal complaint against the nurse as it cost me my benefits. I am appealling and have medical evidence to back it up. She said I show "mild arthritis" in a couple of fingers but my DAS score shows severe disease activity and the x rays show degeneration of joints in both hands, feet and knees. My tender joint count was 23 out of 28 joints examined by the rheumy.Blood tests and x rays cannot lie! Oh and that nurse may have discovered the cure for rheumathoid arthritis as her prognosis was I would be fit for work within 3 months!!!!!LOL!!! Go onto the site benefitsandwork.co.uk and use the search facility to get advice on medicals. Good luck x

[Sherbet]

Hi ...my friend who is specialised in benefits advice has a page on Facebook called 'Fightback'...the page is full of information about how to fill in the forms, tips and advice how to go about it, there are also templates on various things .

The page is also helpful with the bedroom tax appeals, parking fines and debts, it's proving helpful to lots of people like us....she has also helped a lot of others win their appeals by either advising them over the phone or travelling to see them to help fill the forms in...it's worth having a look.

I'm meeting up with her this Friday as I also have received my re-assessment to fill in which was supposidly be for life...Good Luck all and don't let them get you down..x

[sue32]

This really worries me. I am severely incapacitated but I have no x rays or anything to support me. I'm probably due to have a medical in Sept/Oct, and I'm panicking NOW!! My GP is the only person that could back me up, plus my lymphoedema nurse, plus my friends and daughter who help me. Will this go against me?? A very stressed out sue 57!! XXXX :-((

[Hidden]

ATOS are not even medically trained people, my examination was actually on a point system and no interest in my condition at all, i don't think she even looked at me once while filling in the point system on her computer . I did pass the examination though but really it is a farce and so many people are losing out who shouldn't be , If the government expect people to accept these assessments they should then make sure they are carried out by qualified professionals who have an in depth knowledge of these conditions. I have just come out of hospital in the past few days where I discovered that even most GPs are not experienced or qualified enough to make these decisions. They can only me made by someone who has specialist knowledge - i.e. a consultant. If Westminster expect people to go along with this, assessments must be made by those who have the correct and current knowledge to make them.

[esagestapo]

Its a bit of a lottery, some people get through, whereas people who are terminally ill have been known to fail. The winning formula seems to be, the more evidence you include with the ESA/50, doctors and specalists letters etc, the harder it is for ATOS and the DWP to justify failing you, even they can see from the evidence you supply that you will win an appeal no bother, so they tend to pass in those cases where people are clever enough to present proof of illness/disability.

[mub40]

many thanx for all your comments.

I will let you know how I get on

[angib53]

Gd luck , ihad mine last wednesday , my sister came with me , I took all appoitment letters , just waiting to see what happenens x let me know how you get on , xx

[mub40 in reply to angib53]

many thanx,let me know how you get on too.

[fraction]

Good luck! I had a medical last year, they stopped my benefits and took the carers allowance off my husband in the first week of December. They did not inform me they were going to do this so I could not ask for my benefits to be kept in place until the appeal, they then took my car away to auction, that i was renting through motorbility and had paid £200 deposit 2 month previous,. I won the appeal in the January but my money was not sorted until the july and have still not got a car because they debt this left me in. Many groups of facebook give great advice. (The Dr from Atos lied and contradicted himself on my form. None of my consultants of my GP was asked for any information) It is disgusting the way they treat us!!!. HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL LINKS/ SIGHTS ON FB Black Triangle Anti-Defamation Campaign in Defence of Disability Rights Welfare News Service Good luck!!

[mub40 in reply to fraction]

many tahnks

[fraction]

Hi!

I just signed the petition "Department of Work and Pensions: Hold a Public Enquiry into deaths after Atos medicals." on Change.org.

It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link:

change.org/en-GB/petitions/...

Thanks!