HCP expertise - contradiction

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

In FoI request http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ph...
you have said "the HCPs will have detailed knowledge of the principles and practice of diagnostic techniques"

In FoI request http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/82... Response 2344 2424.pdf.html
you have said "the HCP’s assessment is not concerned with diagnosis or decisions about treatment and therefore specialist diagnostic qualifications are unnecessary."

Please clarify whether or not HCPs need diagnostic expertise. One of the above statements must be wrong. Will you issue a correction?

Yours faithfully,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

Please advise reason for delay. The question is based on statements that you yourselves have made.

Yours sincerely,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear J Newman

Please see attached reply regarding your request FoI 3129.

Thank you

Central FoI team

show quoted sections

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

Are you saying here that HCPs need detailed diagnostic knowledge, but do not use it?

If so, are you sure that HCPs other than qualified doctors (nurses, midwives, physiotherapists etc) have this depth of knowledge - my GP understandably says they would not.

Yours sincerely,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

P. Wilkinson left an annotation ()

How can a alleged HCP possibly assess a persons functional ability if they do not know enough about the condition. The Atos/DWP HCP are self titled so they make up the rules as they go along, and it does not seem to matter to them that they do not make sense. We need to challenge them more and not keep accepting what they say, as you are doing Mr Newman, as they clearly cannot clarify the points you have raised with them.

J Newman left an annotation ()

Making up the rules just about sums it up. As you have seen for yourself, the whole thing is riddled with holes, contradictions and spurious assumptions at every level from concept onwards. All we can do is to continue exposing them to the widest possible audience and hope that democracy prevails. I do have some faith in the Tribunals Service and the Ministry of Justice as a back-stop for the time being, as long as DWP doesn't get to nobble it.

J Newman left an annotation ()

PS. I agree with your point, is is simply not possible to make an assessment without a good understanding of the complaint - they HAVE to judge the health risks of sending someone back to work and it raises the interesting question of who is culpable if my health suffers as a direct result.
On this particular issue, HCPs are instructed to simplify conditions for the benefit of Decision Makers who are not medically trained: so a brain tumour could be recorded as "occasional headaches" and a serious spinal problem as "back ache". Worse still is not only that these non-medically trained DMs then research conditions on the internet, but quite probably they are not Googling the right condition. just one more example of . . . . . . . . .

P. Wilkinson left an annotation ()

absolutely. I have heard of someone withlung cancer being described as having a mild chest infection!!
However, it would appear that the DWP are shifting responsibility to the DM now: Extract from Prof. Hrringtons 2nd review http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-review-20... Ensuring quality decisions are made Regular audit of Decision Maker’s performance is needed to ensure they are making consistent, robust and evidence-based decisions and that – as newly empowered Decision Makers – they are accountable for their decisions. So lets see how many last in the job when they are accused of neglect etc

J Newman left an annotation ()

Just about to start reading the prof's latest report, but without much anticipation based on the gap between the progress he claimed last time and what I experienced.

P. Wilkinson left an annotation ()

Hi again J Newman,
I bet you choked on your coffee whne you read this in the foreword, "Atos Healthcare, the claimant’s chosen healthcare adviser", it gives you an idea of what the rest of the report is: delusional!

J Newman left an annotation ()

Hi P,

Preoccupied with interesting contradictions over decision making - if you are interested:

http://tia-junior.blogspot.com/2011/11/d...

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'HCP expertise - contradiction'.

I have just received a "long overdue" reminder, when I responded to your reply 27/11 and have heard nothing since. Over to you.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/hc...

Yours faithfully,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear J Newman

Please see attached response to your FoI request 3578

Kind regards

DWP Central FoI Team

show quoted sections

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear J Newman

Please see attached response to your FoI request IR 325

Kind regards

DWP Central FoI Team

show quoted sections

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'HCP expertise - contradiction'.

I am afraid you have done it again, so I am confused.

In my original question dated19/10/11, I pointed out that in FOI request http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ph...
you have said "the HCPs will have detailed knowledge of the principles and practice of diagnostic techniques".

In VTR 3129, you have confirmed this by saying “An HCP does require detailed knowledge of the principles and practice of diagnostic techniques”

You have now said in VTR 3578 that “there is no need for HCPs to be a diagnostic specialist . . “

There is a direct contradiction here. Please explain.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/hc...

Yours faithfully,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear J Newman

Please see attached response to your FoI request IR 31

Kind regards

DWP Central FoI Team

show quoted sections

Dear DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request,

I will close this request, but you should understand that changing the order of a few words does not change their meaning. Anyone reading your response from an objective position would see the glaringly obvious contradiction and you simply saying their is not one does not remove it.

The point is that you cannot "de-skill" the WCA so that a potentially poorly qualified HCP & administrator can accurately assess the medical conplexities that could be involved. You state that these two people MUST consider condition variability, but they cannot possibly do this without a good clinical understanding of it. QED.

Yours sincerely,

J Newman

DWP Adelphi Freedom-of-Information-Request, Department for Work and Pensions

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...

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/freedom-of-informa...