GPs vote to remove WCA conducted by Atos…. A major achievement by the disability lobby.

Official press release from BT forwarded FYI.

GPs vote to remove WCA conducted by Atos…. A major achievement by the disability lobby.

HOWEVER: Please understand that this does NOT mean that these bogus assessments will stop, but this is a big warning to the DWP that the GPs are no longer prepared to suffer this inhumanity against their patients.

Please share this important news

## PRESS RELEASE: UK Doctors Vote to end the DWP/AtoS WCA régime “with immediate effect” – BLACK TRIANGLE Anti-Defamation Campaign in Defence of Disability RightsPosted on May 23, 2012 by JJ

Black Triangle Fist Black with Silver LiningPRESS RELEASE FROM THE BLACK TRIANGLE ANTI-DEFAMATION CAMPAIGN IN DEFENCE OF DISABILITY RIGHTS WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY 2012 17.00 HRS

For immediate release and dissemination to all allied campaigns, organisations, press and media organisations, trade unions and individual members of the UK Disability Rights Movement

Today at Liverpool the voice of general practice in Britain, the United Kingdom Local Medical Committees (UKLMC) Conference passed the following motion at their annual conference:

Sponsors: 103 HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT & 103a SCOTTISH CONFERENCE OF LMCs

…That conference, in respect of work capability assessments (WCA) as performed by ATOS Healthcare, believes that the:

(i) Inadequate computer based assessments that are used have little regard to the nature or complexity of the needs of long term sick and disabled persons

(ii) WCA should end with immediate effect and be replaced with a rigorous and safe system that does not cause avoidable harm to some of the weakest and most vulnerable in society.

Dr. Stephen Carty, member and medical adviser to the Scottish-based campaign group Black Triangle, who tabled the motion which conference carried unanimously with no votes against and no abstentions said:

“The voices of Britain’s doctors has spoken. The unjust and inhumane DWP/AtoS Work Capability Assessment régime must now end “with immediate effect”. There are not sufficient safeguards in the present system to prevent avoidable harm [to sick and/or disabled people].”

Dr Carty, a GP in Leith, on the edge ofEdinburgh, tabled an identical motion at the Scottish LMC Conference in March, where it was overwhelmingly approved, said:

“Now that the motion is passed it will become policy of the BMA’s General Practice Committee, which negotiates with the government on behalf of GPs and would be expected to push for the WCA to be scrapped”.

Dr Carty said he hoped the committee would “negotiate in the hardest terms” with the DWP over the WCA.

In recent evidence he gave to the Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee Dr. Carty told the Scottish Government that “non-cooperation is possible”.

He told the committee that he felt that he was “complicit” in a system that had been shown to be harmful and which violated the GMC’s recent publication on Good Medical Practice guidance; that a doctor must (overriding duty or principle) take prompt action if he feels that “patient safety is or may be seriously compromised by inadequate… policies or systems”.

He said “I feel that it is both possible and appropriate to withdraw cooperation unless there are clear changes”.

Thousands of terrified sick and/or disabled people have been asking our campaign and each other since the motion was carried this morning “but what does this actually mean in practice?”

Does it mean that patients no longer have to fear being compelled to attend an assessment where up to 90% of appellants win their appeals (as in the case of those represented by MIND in Oxford this year) with representation and 40% win without representation?

Does it mean that I will no longer be forced to subsist in abject penury on next to nothing for an average 10 months while I wait for my appeal comes to come to Tribunal: An ordeal so grueling that many coroners’ inquests have already recorded the stress of this to have been a primary contributor to many vulnerable people having taken their own lives?

Sadly, it does not.

The motion is also set be debated at the BMA’s annual conference for all doctors, to be held next month. If it is approved at that meeting, the motion will become BMA-wide policy.

A DWP spokesman told Disability News Service last week that “We clearly don’t agree that the WCA should be scrapped… The WCA was developed in close consultation with experts and disability organizations and we are continually working to make sure it is fair and effective… That is why we are implementing recommendations made by our independent reviewer, Professor Malcolm Harrington, and want to keep improving the WCA.”

John McArdle, Founding Member of Black Triangle said:

“As a grassroots disability rights campaign group and disabled people’s organization (DPO), constituted and run by and for disabled people, we say that we, the sick and disabled people of Britainhave never been consulted in the way that the DWP asserts. The findings of The Spartacus Report “Responsible Reform” exposed once and for all the utter sham passes for the government’s claims to have consulted with disabled people over these so-called ‘reforms’.”

He continued “The Harrington Reports are a whitewash. Nobody working with sick and/or disabled people, or disabled people themselves, have seen any improvements to the system. In fact the system has gotten far, far worse for us and we expect exactly the same thing to happen with the abolition of DLA and the introduction of PIP”.

“We congratulate Paul Farmer CEO of MIND for his recent, honourable resignation from the Government’s WCA Advisory Committee on grounds that the assessment process is “inhumane” and that the Government is not listening after his two years on the panel.” he said

“We furthermore condemn in the strongest possible terms the new appointment of the CEO of the MS Society Simon Gillespie in replacement of Mr. Farmer and we call upon Sir Michael Marmot, President of the BMA and all other members of the panel to follow Mr. Farmer’s example and withdraw forthwith from this totally discredited body in the light of today’s vote.”

“Sick and/or disabled people are under full-scale sustained attack by this government whose behaviour is reminiscent of the darkest days of fascism. Now, with all the evidence taken together, far from that statement being hyperbole, it is preposterous to suggest otherwise.

“We say that to this government: “You may pass unjust decrees and seek to carry out policies amounting to little more than Eugenics and Social Darwinism dressed up as “helping ‘the disabled’ back to work” in order to cut £18 billion from the social security budget this year; £10bn next year and a further £25bn (as David Cameron was reported to have considered in the media last week) in the term to come.”

He continued: “You may pass these decrees but you cannot compel the members of our medical and allied caring professions to take part in your hatchet job – in violation of every medical and human ethical principle they stand for and live by!.”

“This is just the beginning. We fight on until all professional bodies and all indeed all of civil society, join with us and the medical profession in refusing to be complicit in policies and systems that are killing sick and disabled people and driving a great many more into penury and destitution.

“We say to this Government and its henchmen: You Shall Not Pass!”

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org

Press enquiries: Tel. 0777 831 6875

well done those doctors, first step in sencability.

Barbara.xx

Good news, let’s hope it gets somewhere.

Wendyx

Hell Yes,oops can I say hell?

About time to.When does this come into force?

I have to go with a friend on Wednsday about his ESA…He needs support badly,which I am giving with many problems the friend is having.

Being retired, the WCA and ESA do not apply to me (not much does), but some readers may be interested in the following links to the NHS:

NHS Constitution:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_132958.pdf

Handbook to the NHS Constitution

http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_132959.pdf

CAB Advice to patients

www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/healthcare_e/healthcare_nhs_healthcare_e/nhs_patients_rights.

The first two are the 2012 versions of the Constitution. I have a feeling that one or two things might have been “trimmed” from the previous version, but a read of the first section of the handbook could answer a few quetions that have been asked on this Forum about being properly informed.

Geoff

Hi Jellybean,

I’ve no idea if this will ever be ‘acted upon’ but it’s certainly a warning gong to this government. Whatever happens, it won’t be completely scrapped, the three major parties are determined to reform the welfare system. Unfortunately the hybrid and unelected shower we have at the moment seem to be relishing the vicious cuts they are targetting toward the disabled and the vulnerable.

I realise it may be too late now but hopefully your friend sent medical evidence from their own specialist when they submitted the ESA50? This could have been GP, specialist nurse or consultant.

On page 2 of the questionnaire, it asks if you would need any help if you are called to a face to face assessment. I hope your friend requested someone who is trained and experienced in their particular condition?

Did you help your friend in completing the ESA50 form? It’s very important that they explained on the form how their disability impacts on their life on a day to day basis – what it stops them from doing etc. It’d be best if they take a photocopy of their completed form along with them to refer to.

I don’t know how true it is but I’ve heard people say that you’re assessed from the moment you arrive at the building. They will look at how your friend made the journey to the assessment centre etc.

I’m glad your friend has someone to support him. This is a very stressful situation.

I don’t know how true it is but I’ve heard people say that you’re assessed from the moment you arrive at the building. They will look at how your friend made the journey to the assessment centre etc

Hiya

It is true. It is part of the assessment of your abilities. If you go on your own via public transport then it may indicate your mobility ability. It is better than asking someone who may say they cant walk yet came by bus on their own without a walking aid.

It helps as part of the assessment, not all of it.

regards

s4ar

wot I dont understand is,if wew go for medical,and get knocked off,we are going to appeal,and win the appeal,so in effect they are ccosting double the monbey for the ssame result,i am not saying that some people dont abuse thesystem,but if you have a serious illness,surley they shouldnt say ur fit for work,I know someone who was told exactly that,told her they accept she hasw MS and is ill,but still fit for work,duhhhh,lost her job as i and a lot of others have because of the illness

This Morning program on ITV during the week put up on FaceBook a video of David Cameron and how he supports Demeshia and studdying it and wants better health care for this illness and people suffering from it.

I was the first to comment on ATOS and how Caeron did NOT care for those in need and those who are ill and or disabled and forcing those in terrrible need to loose there DLA/ESA.

Many then made comments on how he is uncaring and the mess he has made of the benefits sytem and bullying those who cannot defend themselves.

However This Morning program are TORYs through and through.None of us swore or made any threats just posted how badly we were all being treated.

This morning program deleted many many of our comments from below the video of Cameron talking BULL…

Go figure,dont they want the country to see what he has done to ALL of us who realy in desprate need?