This country is f****ing mad - public sector paying private sector company who then outsources back to the public sector!

[breadandbutterfly]

Orwell or Brave New World couldn't have come up with anything more peverse and twisted -

www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/oct/10/atos-outsource-medical-assessments

We pay Atos (them again) who pay us to do the dirty work...that they messed up last time. Atos cream off huge profits - when we could have just done the work without a fucking middle man.

What a joke.

Complete lunacy, except the circuit allows some f"""""ker to cream off profits. Shameful.

The whole ATOS contract has been a nightmare from the beginning. I get that we need to tighten up the current rules, get the fraudsters off the system and help those who can do some work to look for suitable work. I still support the principle.

But the way ATOS have gone about it (presumably under instructions from the govt) has been atrocious and have done itself no favours. Well actually it has. It's given the MP's a convenient scapegoat. Many are blaming ATOS when in reality they are delivering to a contract signed by the government.

Since I work in the outsourcing industry myself I know there's absolutely no way that ATOS would implement anything unless it was in the contract.

In my opinion the whole system should be reexamined and a more sensible approach adopted.

Arf.

Kind of illustrates the point that privatisation doesn't make things cheaper/more efficient.

my ATOS assessment ahh what a pleasant day out. I have seen the ATOS guidelines and saw my report and what I told them wasn't what they wrote and we realised after that by actually getting myself to the assessment in the firstplace qualified me in their eyes as able bodied. When the good old NHS said lucky to work again if your illness keeps flaring up. well as it happens I have managed 5 weeks work in 2 years so ATOS was right after all!

Nobbers

ItsAllGoingToBeFine, actually I think it's more a sterling example of garbage in, garbage out.

Privatisation can be successful. See BT, BA and arguably British Gas for examples of good privatisation. See recent West Coast Main line and ATOS for piss poor examples. And the common theme each time is piss poor contracts.

British Gas - successful for who?

Oh yes - successful for shareholders who have seen a 55% rise in their dividends since 2006. Whilst families struggle to afford fuel - something which is a basic need in a developed country.

We have dealings with Serco who are a private company dealing with public organisations aren't they? They're bloody hopeless anyway.

Who gets prophit from Atos, and are they linked to who is giving Atos contracts?

Interesting question, mrsj. As it was the last government I suspect there is a link somewhere. Lets face it, making millions of the back of an illegal invasion and murder just isn't enough.

who in government and what is in it for them?

Atos is a huge IT co - so I doubt here is any corruption, they are just a co who specialise in gov contracts.

niceguy if you want to get the fraudsters - get them to pay their uncollected/avoided/evaded tax (£140 billion at last count)

Julia, we'd be going off the subject at a tangent if we pull at that piece of string. In short this notionally amount is based on the naive assumption that the HMRC are always correct which in fact it's not always.

But in actual fact I do want to get all fraudsters. I don't care if they are the rich evading taxes or those faking disabilities. We should be going after them all in my opinion.

Speaking as someone who has been called for an ATOS assessment I would encourage everybody who is able bodied to contact their MP'S. The government is to blame for this fiasco. ATOS have made 40m profit. Yet their assessments are inaccurate leading to those being able to cope with launching an appeal having a success rate of 40% ? according to the DWP's own figures ? and up to 70% in Scotland for those who appeal costing something in the region of £50m pounds, this is a significant issue for all taxpayers, not just claimants.
Appealing is difficult for those that have disabilities relating to cognitive function, special needs or mental health problems. Legal Aid is being withdrawn from benefit issues and this leaves the most vulnerable in society unable to defend themselves adequately. It is notable that the government is keeping no statistics on people committing suicide because of the benefit "reforms". I know of three cases personally where disabled people have been feeling suicidal because of the ATOS assessment. One has Hep C, Vasculitis and Lupus he also now understandably has severe depression.ATOS stopped his benefits when he was too unwell to attend an assessment, he had only had one three months before. He had £8 left when he called me. I raised hell with social services and his MP. Social Services had to go round and do a food shop for him , which he would pay back from his benefit from when/if it was reinstated. This is what this is what the government are doing to the most vulnerable in society. Then there was the case of the woman who had terminal cancer was declared fit for work and died while fighting her appeal. This sparked the protests during the Olympics that led to one wheelchair bound protester having his shoulder broken by a police officer. This was not well publicised. I would encourage all mumsnet bloggers to write/email to their MP's on this it is a national disgrace yet corporations are getting away with paying no tax in the UK which costs the UK so much more than it pays out in benefits. I am lucky I can fight my corner with ATOS I am recovering from breast cancer and complications of surgery. I will not be on benefits for ever. However there are thousands of disabled who are not able to speak up for themselves often very socially isolated with little support, plesae speak up for those who are unable to do so.

Thanks for posting this, BreadandButterfly. What a stupid waste of money.

Why is Lanarkshire doing this? Does anyone know why it can't carry out its own assessments without involving the ATOS?