atos healthcare

Hi all i've been reading alot about Atos Healthcare and i thought i would have my say on my 2 years 6 months of medicals and appeals . I have attended 4 medicals at my local Atos healthcare centre after first being refused E.S.A. usual grounds not enough points so i appealed and won yippe 2 months later another medical not enough points another appeal, i won 6 months later you guessed it another medical not enough points due to the changes in the law this time ie taking away points available for certain movement anyway another appeal which i won ... I had my last medical in Jan 2012 . yet again not enough points due to further changes ie mobility changes ... being in a wheelchair and no longer being classed as having a disability i've never heard such rubbish . Thankfully at my appeal in march they thought the same . What worries me is what the future holds ? I know there are people out there who blag the system but why should we pay for their wrongdoing sorry for the rant but i feel so much better now .

[Lupo30]

I'm, and many others, are in situations just like yourself. I just want to know how on earth we can get the government to realise what they are doing to the sick and vunerable in society. Yes, by all means try and give us support to work if WE CAN work, but a lot of us have crippling fatigue coupled with the 'oh you look so well syndrome' along with a lot desperately trying cocktails of drugs in an attempt to return to some kind of normality. Of course, we would prefer not to ask for benefits but unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world and we certainly don't have perfect health. I hope someone in government gets a bout of lupus, mind you they've got nice pensions that they can drawn on in times of need, paid for by the taxpayer - US. Sorry for the rant as well.

[shybiker in reply to Lupo30]

why couldnt we have had the choice,work if you feel up to it,recooperate if you feel unable to give work a go....as a thought, how many disabled people are going to DIE this winter because they cant afford any heat.....GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE

[anniesensi]

Hi both.

I went to the demonstrations against ATOS today. Exhausted, but so worth it. I was filmed by the guardian - I hope I said what needs to be said, and that you will all feel proud x

guardian.co.uk/society/2012...

[mstr in reply to anniesensi]

Good for you Particularly when you have been so ill. Thank you on behalf of many I'm sure.

[anniesensi in reply to mstr]

Thank you mstr.

I don't live too far away on the train, and it was something I needed to do. I was only given the SLE diagnosis the day previous, so I just had to go and vent my anger because I can't bear the hypocrisy and the undermining of our good Dr's by ATOS.

Thank you again.

Annie x

[mstr in reply to anniesensi]

Annie, I would have been so tempted to join in with this had I lived closer. I'm with the UCTD disease at the moment, though last rheumy appt I was told I had all the symptoms of lupus + ANA, so I think the diagnosis isn;t too long in coming, also in last few weeks have been diagnosed with proximal and distal weakness too. I can imagine you were relieved to receive a diagnosis at least as an acknowledgement of your symptoms. I read the guardian article above and was shocked at the statistics of people being deemed able to work when they are seriously ill. I think you showed great strength in attending the demonstration so soon after your diagnosis'. My ESA came to an end this week (as I'm contributions based) and now I'm on JSA (contributions based for only 6 months). It's very frustrating as I'm clearly not fit for work at the moment. As I have worked for 30 years already I feel very let down by the system as when you are ill you do not have the energy for appeals etc. Whoops nearly off on a roll again lol. Take care Marion x

[Hidden in reply to anniesensi]

Thank you & good on you i'm all for Atos having their contract taken away from them . I sometimes think they must be on some type of bonus system . The more people are made to suffer the more £ they get , lets face it they aint there for our health its all about the money

[anniesensi in reply to Hidden]

They receive £100,000.000 every year that they sponsor the games. Don't quote me on the figure, but I believe it to be true.

They are also being paid something outrageous (of a similar about I believe) to achieve their goal of reducing all benefits by £20bn.

I felt sick to my stomach when I realised this. As I say, please don't quote me on the exact figure, but it is a disgrace. And on the train home, EVERYWHERE were banners and flags advertising the Olympics and Paralympics. I wanted to tear them down.

[Saramac63 in reply to Hidden]

Unfortunately Atos are still being used by the DWP despite being told they were no longer required!!

[Tigerlily4 in reply to anniesensi]

Well done Annie!

[Maya23]

Well done anniesensi!! You did us proud xxx Have shared on Facebook too

[anniesensi in reply to Maya23]

Thank you for sharing. I was only given the SLE diagnosis the day previously, so I had a lot of shouting to do, and this was the perfect opportunity. I'm not good with getting the words out, but I think I came across.

[Melinda]

Yes, well done Annie. I'm sure many of us were there with you in spirit. x

[anniesensi in reply to Melinda]

Of that I am certain. I am lucky that I am only 40 minutes away on the train. The fire was in my belly, and it felt good to shout at the top of my (slightly clotted) lungs!

[Hidden]

Well done!

[Lupo30]

Yes, well done. Thank you for trying for us all.

[tintin49]

very good posts.. i agree with the medical issues that most people are unaware of and dont care to know regarding the horrible traetment of lupus the meds dont always work and can make us far worse in many ways.

well done for taking the time and your precious energy to put forward a worthy cause

[Tigerlily4]

At the end of the day "SLE is an extremely disabling disease with no cure and no effective treatment." The words in quotes were made by a doctor engaged by DWP to look at my DLA benefits file over a decade ago. Medical science has produced nothing helpful to battlers since then. They now appear to be counting on us giving up the fight for benefits that are rightfully ours - please don't allow them to win!

[anniesensi]

Thank you everybody. I am so pleased not to have let you down.

I was only given my Lupus dx the day before I went to the demo, and I think I needed to let this all out! OMG did I yell!!!! It felt fantastic. I was interviewed by so many people, various radio stations... I hope I have been heard on behalf of everybody. I did also say that is is not the place of a Gov't organisation to make these decisions, but only the place of our Consultants, etc...

On another tangent - I understand the dangers of my APS, I have long understood my MS, Prof. Hunt said that she doesn't expect my SLE to cause organ failure... that's certainly good - but, is SLE really that predictable? I am feisty, but scared too xxx

[bettie]

Hi

Well done anniesensi. Atos is a profit earning company they have been given a job to do they don't care who is affected as long as they get there money

[Saramac63 in reply to bettie]

Absolutely correct, they are a joke! 😠

[loopy-lou]

Hi Anniesensi

Thank you for your amazing efforts in trying to help all of us. x

[Riverbird]

Hi,

Not sure if this is elsewhere on the blog but the e-petition to sign regarding ATOS is on the following link epetitions.direct.gov.uk/pe..., it needs as many people to sign as possible.

[Saramac63 in reply to Riverbird]

I tried to sign but it won't let me on the site?? 😔

[shybiker]

i aint sleeping well since all this welfare change started to come about,i only found out because of a program on tv,its jusy downright abuse to a disabled or sick person to have to be told,well your year is up no more money, p ss off your off the books....if i felt well enough my integrity as a human being would have seen me looking for work without being forced to.....BE LUCKY EVERYONE

[Saramac63]

Hi, I was looking up Atos Healthcare and was surprised to learn that they are a French IT company which the government told the DWP to stop using over two years ago, obviously this has been totally ignored and, like yourself, I had my PIP home assessment done by them and as I am not mentally challenged it seems I have no disability hence my PIP was immediately stopped! I have raised the whole situation with my local MP who was not aware that the DWP were still using them when clearly told not to do so, I even rand PIP and told them and they were very aware of what they were told but admitted they did still use them on a frequent basis. As I was searching I came across your very eloquently written post so I became a member of the group and here I am and pleased to "meet" you all.

[Saramac63]

Over two years ago the government told the DWP not to use Atos Healthcare, who are in fact a French IT company, however, surprise surprise they are still using them! I am in the middle of a reconsideration and your post fills me with hope along with my GPs letter and letters from the RAF and my neurosurgeon. At present they now owe me £2,300 in back pay and i am determined to fight like hell as it is all down to points and the fact that my brain is working adequately even though my legs don't. Atos are discriminatory at the very least and the point system is a joke. Please cross your fingers for me! Regards Sara