Twelve doctors employed by the firm that is paid £100m a year to assess people claiming disability benefit are under investigation by the General Medical Council over allegations of improper conduct. The doctors, who work for Atos Healthcare, a French-owned company recently criticised by MPs for its practices, face being struck off if they are found not to have put the care of patients first.
Tag Archives: carers
Caring for someone with dementia can be a very frightening experience.
‘I think we knew it was Alzheimer’s before the consultant told us’
- by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail
- Aug 15 2011
With more than 820,000 people suffering with dementia in the UK and 60,000 deaths a year directly attributable to it, Julia McWatt spoke to one family who have been affected by the illness
FOR sufferers of dementia and those close to them, the effects can lead to some very frightening experiences.
Alzheimer’s sufferers can often experience great confusion and mood swings, which can make it very difficult for both the sufferer and their carers, family members and friends.
Mental health service users and personal health budgets
What Personal Health Budgets mean to mental health service users
By William Smith
It is hard to keep up with all the proposed changes to our NHS system. The piloting of personal budgets in the NHS began in 2009. This scheme begun under the old Labour government and is now supported by the coalition in their health white paper ‘Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS’.
A recently published report shows that mental health service users in England are sceptical that these ‘personal budgets’ will improve their care. Many do not know what personal budgets are or how they would fit into similar funding schemes within the social care system.
Atos doctors could be struck off
Seven of the doctors have been under investigation for more than seven months
Twelve medics at the disability assessment centre are under investigation by the GMC over allegations of improper conduct
Atos practices concerning welfare and disability assessment have come under intense criticism.
