Do the DWP endorse the Atos Healthcare view that your customers are “Parasitical Wankers”
Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
In a period of less than 24 hours it has been revealed that two Atos employees have used the social networking site Facebook to refer to the sick & disabled customers of the DWP as “Down & Outs” according to a Health Care Professional, and “Parasitical Wankers” according to a Medical Examination Centre Administrator.
Do the DWP share these views of their customers and do Atos Healthcare, who are operating on behalf of the DWP, receive any bonuses for demonstrating this institutional discrimination?
Yours faithfully,
Comrade Balinsky
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been received at the DWP Central FoI Team.
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Mr Taylor left an annotation ()
So, to recap, politicians designed a system where the descriptors used to qualify for long-term support are so limited that almost nobody does so. They use centres that are inaccessible to the very disabled people they have to accommodate, and use a tick box computer system that takes no account of the symptoms, pain or longevity of an illness or disability. The assessment need take no consideration of the "real world" of work, and even if you are found to have "limited capability for work" after one year, that won't matter either and you will still lose all support. Assessments are so badly designed that up to 40% of decisions go to appeal, while those who fall out of the system are not tracked to find out what becomes of them. Finally, even if you are able to navigate all of those flaws, you will be placed into a Work Related Activity Group that has almost no likelihood of finding you a job. Meanwhile, the media waste no opportunity to tell the country that you are merely a "scrounger" and a "skiver".
Despite all of this, the programme is being rolled out across the country to 2.5 million of the most vulnerable people we always assumed we had a duty to protect. This is before the pilot studies in Aberdeen and Burnley were even completed, before Professor Malcolm Harrington's report on long-term variable conditions and before all of his previous recommendations have been implemented fully.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/...
Dear Comrade Balinsky,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 12 August 2011
that was received by DWP Adelphi and forwarded for response by the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Commercial Management of Medical
Services Freedom of Information Officer. In your email you asked to be
provided with information answering the following questions:-
Do the DWP share these views of their customers and do Atos Healthcare,
who are operating on behalf of the DWP, receive any bonuses for
demonstrating this institutional discrimination?
In response, Atos Healthcare has investigated the issue regarding
inappropriate comments written by individuals on social media websites.
We believe these are isolated incidents and the personal views expressed
in no way reflect the views of Atos Healthcare or the DWP.
Atos Healthcare is committed to providing a high quality, professional
service to the DWP and expects the same of all its employees. They take
any failure to adhere to these standards very seriously and will apply
such disciplinary action as is appropriate. In relation to the recent
incidents Atos Healthcare has accepted the resignation of two
individuals and will take further disciplinary action in relation to any
other individuals as is necessary.
In the Atos Healthcare Customer Charter, they provide a commitment to
treat our claimants with respect and to ensure that the assessments
undertaken by their staff are fair and accurate. Atos Healthcare has
rigorous processes in place to monitor the quality of their assessments.
Their independent medical reports are reviewed by the DWP to ensure they
fully meet its requirements in providing impartial advice based on
approved criteria laid out in legislation.
All medical Atos Healthcare staff receive comprehensive training and are
approved by the Secretary of State to carry out disability assessments.
Their healthcare professionals undergo continual assessment to ensure
that they maintain the high standards we, and claimants, would rightly
expect. In addition their administrative teams are also trained in
customer service skills with a specific focus on supporting vulnerable
claimants.
I can confirm that the Contract between the DWP and Atos Healthcare
makes no provision for the payment of bonuses.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the
reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central FoI Team
Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,
Please review your response as some of the information you have supplied appears to be false.
Your response in which you have stated
All medical Atos Healthcare staff receive comprehensive training and are
approved by the Secretary of State to carry out disability assessments.
Their healthcare professionals undergo continual assessment to ensure
that they maintain the high standards we, and claimants, would rightly
expect. In addition their administrative teams are also trained in
customer service skills with a specific focus on supporting vulnerable
claimants.
As you are aware Professor Harrington was appointed just over a year ago to make recommendations on how to refine the system. He concluded that there was "something wrong with every bit of the process, right from the time that somebody rings up and says, 'I haven't got a job, please give me money,' right through the Atos assessment, right through to the appeals process." He divided the problems into issues that could be fixed immediately, and those that were "too difficult and too consuming to fix now, but could be the programme for year two".http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/s...
Your response appears to be contradicting the findings of the professor. Is he wrong or is the department still in denial?
Yours sincerely,
Comrade Balinsky
This is an automated confirmation that your request for information has
been received at the DWP Central FoI Team.
We will forward your request to the relevant information owner within the
Department who will respond to you direct.
Should you also have any further queries in connection with this request
do please contact us.
For further information on the Freedom of Information Act within DWP
please click on the link below.
[1]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
References
Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...
P. Wilkinson left an annotation ()
YOU have short changed us Atos, they should have been sacked but you made it easy for them to get jobs again so they can do their worst elsewhere.
In my opinion, if that nurse is allowed to practise again she is the personality type who is at risk of harming her patients and we hear about losts of those cases these days.
Dear Comrade Balinsky
Please see attached response to your FoI request.
Kind regards
DWP Central FoI Team
jimmy3 left an annotation ()
People who believe that the original request was not answered correctly may be interested in following this url where you can obtain all kinds of information and find people who agree with you:
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Mr Taylor left an annotation ()
Do the DWP even bother screening the bigots they are allowing to process the personal data which we have no choice other than to provide them with?
The entire Atos Healthcare situation is a national disgrace and this personifies the blatant and total lack of respect shown by Atos, the DWP and the Government towards some of the most vulnerable members of our society.