Atos ad from BMJ click image to enlarge

Here is a recruitment advertisement by Atos Healthcare from the British Medical Journal, majicked onto the internet via the archiving and scanning talents of the supremely splendid Dr Margaret McCartney, (on Twitter @mgtmccartney). The good doctor has also written some must read posts on the continuing scandal of Atos Healthcare and the DWP’s assault on the sick & disabled. This is the deceptively friendly and corporate face they present to doctors who may be foolish enough to find themselves co-opted into a process, as Dr McCartney observes-

Doctors thinking of working for Atos should have a look online at the many testimonials from patients who have felt that the basis for normal working in Atos- a computer based protocol tickbox assessment – is degrading and distressing.

What is very interesting is the ad describes doctors working for them as ‘you’ll carry out medical assessments‘ but in the DWP Training & Development ESA Handbook it says this-

ESA approved HCPs [HealthCare Professionals ie doctors, nurses, physios, paramedics] act as specialist disability analysts. The role of the disability analyst is different from the more familiar clinical role of reaching a diagnosis and arranging treatment. For the disability analyst, a precise diagnosis is of secondary importance. The primary function is to make an assessment of how a person’s day to day life is affected by disability, and to relate this to the legislative requirements. (Page 17 Training & Development ESA Handbook MED-ESAHB~001 Available from Benefits & Work -nb. paywall-)

Clearly that is not a medical assessment as is normally understood by the term. This is related to the debate that occurred in the BMJ & Dr McCartney’s site after she published an article in the BMJ: Well enough to work? (BMJ 2011; 342:d599) (to read for free go to her blog here and click the BMJ link in the first sentence). In response a doctor calling themselves Edward Cooper countered that HCP’s working for Atos ‘aren’t really in a  ’normal’ doctor patient relationship.‘ However Cooper was soon shown to be from the planet chump when Jane O’Brien, Assistant Director, Standards & Fitness to Practise Directorate, General Medical Council, swiftly corrected his erroneous Atos/DWP friendly opinion-

Edward Cooper is mistaken that the principle of making the care of your patients does not apply to doctors when they are assessing benefits claimants on behalf of ATOS. Our guidance is for all doctors and in the guidance we use the term ‘patient’ to refer to anyone whom doctors test, treat or assess in their professional capacity as a doctor. This includes amongst others, employees, benefits and insurance claimants, and athletes.

“The first duty of all doctors is ‘to make the care of your patient your first concern’. But that is not the only duty doctors must observe. Being open and honest and acting with integrity is also an essential part of medical professionalism. Good Medical Practice provides guidance, not a set of rules, so doctors must use their judgement to apply the duties and principles defined in our guidance to the various situations they face as a doctor, whether or not they routinely see patients in a therapeutic or any other role. [more]

Also see here for advice from Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health Professions Council. DWP/Atos routinely refer to patients as ‘claimants’ their abuse of language however does not overide the GMC, whatever the DWP or Atos may say or use in misleading training manuals, recruitment seminars & advertisements-

The message from the recruitment evening was quite clear. We were told: “You are not in a typical caring role. This isn’t about diagnosing.” And: “We don’t call them patients . . . We call them claimants.” Training is provided for each type of benefit examination. Its length, we were told, depends on experience but is generally up to five days of classroom training, followed by sessions accompanied by a trainer that are audited afterwards.

Full time doctors can earn £54 000 as basic salary plus various benefits including private healthcare. Sessional doctors work a minimum of four sessions a week and are paid “per item”— £35.16 for an incapacity benefit examination and £51.37 for non-domiciliary disability living allowance (DLA) examination, for example . The application forms for sessional doctors state that “10 DLA domiciliary visits cases per week would earn £40 211.60 per annum. Five LCWRA/ LCW [limited capacity for work related activity/limited capacity for work] cases per session, for six sessions per week, would earn £62 883.60 per annum.”

Throughput is a clear focus. The average morning or afternoon session should consist of five assessments, and it was made clear at the recruitment evening that clinicians who did not achieve this regularly would be picked up quickly on audit trails and speed of work addressed. [Well enough to work? (BMJ 2011; 342:d599)]

This is a for profit [mis]diagnosing in the service of an ideological drive by successive NeoLiberal governments to re-brand those they deem not economically productive enough as worthy of poverty and death by constructive neglect unless they can find work, regardless of how ill or disabled they are or what support they need which is simultaneously being cut. It is a Malthusian view of an atomised non-social political economy consisting of discrete competing individuals where many hundreds of thousands, if not millions can expect to ultimately pay with degradation and termination of their lives if they do not conform to an elite’s idea of a useful asset.

Well…Fuck that.

Below is the full text of the advert-

Choose a career without compromise.

Doctors/UK wide (including Scotland, the South East and the South West)

Mon-Fri, 37 hours or part-time. Competitive benefits, flexible work.

Disability assessment is changing. As Part of the UK’s leading disability assessment team, you could make the difference that gives someone on incapacity benefit a brighter future.

At Atos Healthcare, we’re seeking full-time, part-time and sessional doctors to carry out independent medical assessment services on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. Using your strong clinical and people skills you’ll carry out medical assessments that help the DWP make informed decisions about disability benefit claims. It’s a vitally important role that aims to change lives for the better.

You’ll need full GMC registration*, a valid ‘Licence to Practise’ and, ideally at least 3 years’ post-registration general medical experience. In return, you’ll receive excellent training plus highly competitive benefits. What’s more, you can work regular hours without the inconvenience of shifts, nights or compulsory weekends.

To find out how you could make a real difference, visit atoshealthcarejobs.co.uk

To apply or find out more, please visit atoshealthcarejobs.co.uk or call us on 020 7830 4660.

Open Evening: Glasgow 6th June – 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Open Day: Croydon 9th June – 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Open Day: London 14th June – 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Open Day: Canterbury 29th June – 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Open Day: Cambridge 6th July – 3:00pm – 8:00pm

Please call or email the recruitment team to register your interest in attending one of the events.

Atos Healthcare does not discriminate on the bias of race, religion, colour, sex, age disability or sexual orientation. All recruitment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience and relevant business requirements. Successful candidates will undergo a Criminal Record Bureau check and a Security Clearance check. *We cannot accept applications from individuals with conditions, restrictions and/or undertakings imposed by the GMC. However, this requirement will not apply if related to health or disability. Candidates with a minimum 2 years general medical experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Atos Healthcare
Another way to work