appaling treatment by atos

Hi I have not posted for a while, but do read the forum topics regularly, this might not be appropriate
mods will decide.

I was told by my good friend, (whose partner is a member of the forum) that they received a letter from
Atos asking for him to attend a medical (without an esa50) being filled in, has been in SG for 2 years, they attended last Wednesday, was told their was a delay, as a Doctor had not turned up, 3 hours later, they saw a male nurse who said he needed to come back on Saturday as he needed to be assessed by a doctor. they were really angry as he was in so much pain sitting for so long, Saturday they went again, and were told there would be a wait as a doctor had not turned up, had not rang in or anything. There were a lot of very ill people there and one person whose 4th trip to the centre, just flipped and stormed out when told she would have to come back another day. Another person was so very ill, my friend was extremely upset when she found her in the toilet, she spoke to the person's partner who was in the waiting room, and when the receptionist saw the condition this poor person was in, told the partner to take her home immediately, (she had terminal cancer) and that she should never have been told to come to the assessment,. I am no longer amazed at what goes on but I still feel distress at such treatment of the sick and disabled. words fail me. my friend's partner was eventually offered a bed to lie on while he waited, was eventually seen by the only doctor there, at the end of the assessment was told to ring the jobcentre in 3 weeks for the decision? is this right it does not seem credulous, in fact I cannot believe this, surely a decision should be given by letter, a lot of people attending that day had not received ESA50's, had been on esa for some time.
rapheal

Thanks Gordon
that is what I thought, but how may people will know this, unless they are lucky enough to belong the B&W, and so many people feel downtrodden and do not have the energy to complain. I thought Atos contract had finished? not that any new company will be different (orders from above)
rapheal

I really do find this account most worrying. How can Atos demand that you attend a medical without an ESA50 being sent, you wouldn't be able to give an account of how your illness affects you, nor would you have time to get a doctors or specialists letter in the time frame given.

Surely Atos could be challenged by trying to short circuit their own protocols and putting you at an unfair disadvantage by not sending an ESA50. What if you need help to get to the assessment centre and can't arrange it in time. I suppose at the end of the day an adverse decision could be challenged by their disregard for their own procedures, but as we all know that can be a very convoluted and time consuming process.

I can only think that Atos are rapidly imploding and they are trying to take as many with them as they can.