‘ATOS assessments not fit for purpose’, blasts Brady | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

‘ATOS assessments not fit for purpose’, blasts Brady

Newry Sinn Féin MLA Mickey Brady has said that the evidence of a whistle-blowing GP on the anti-claimant bias in ATOS assessments has further undermined their credibility.

ATOS is the company who have the contract to carry out the assessments which deem whether or not applicants are entitled to claim Employment and Support Allowance.

Speaking to Newry Times, Brady stated, “Last year the British Medical Association called for these tests to be scrapped to prevent harm to the most vulnerable in society.

“A GP who worked for ATOS as a senior advisor on mental health issues has said that claimants were not assessed in “an even-handed” way.

“Evidence for claims was never put forward by the company in question for doctors to use and that medical staff were told to change reports if they were too favourable to claimants.

“The work Capability Assessment is used to assess entitlement to Employment Support Allowance. The whistle blower claims that assessors were trained in such a way that they expected claimants to score too few points to qualify for ESA.

“He also stated that if ATOS Assessors show deviation from the official line they are instructed to change the report. In roughly a quarter of assessments important documentary evidence such as the claimants own GP assessment is missing but the assessments go ahead regardless,” insisted Brady.

“There have been repeated claims that people with terminal cancer have been denied benefits as a result of ATOS assessments and that the tests are arduous and degrading. This is all unacceptable and must be ended.

Brady added, “We in Sinn Féin have consistently argued that these ATOS Assessments were and are not fit for purpose and these new revelations vindicate our position.

“These particular tests and their format should never have been introduced by DSD and there has always been the opportunity for alternative, fairer and more accurate assessments to be put in place.”

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=31694

Posted by on May 18 2013. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

1 Comment for “‘ATOS assessments not fit for purpose’, blasts Brady”

  1. I was called for a medical /interview with ATOS I cant for the life of me work out why I had to go in the first place. The woman who interviewed me had all my medical history in front of her on a screen with results from MRI scan Bone density scan plus diagnosis from Consultant,s I presently see Consultant neuro surgeon Consultant Oncologist Consultant in chronic pain management Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon Consulant breast (cancer) surgeon the scans cant lie ,the surgeons wouldn’t lie ,so the only conclusion I can come to is they were wasting yours the tax payers money while causing me extreme distress and pain and how many others in my position along with me ????? LJBuckley .

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