A former nurse who was employed by the
Department for Work and Pensions' outsourced capability assessor Atos has
claimed she was forced to manipulate tests so that disabled people were deemed
fit for work. Glasgow's
Daily Record reports that Joyce Drummond alleged she was warned by the
French-owned firm she was being "too nice" to claimants. She said
candidates were considered more able to work if they arrived for their
interview with brushed hair, had a toddler with them, or wore make-up. Ms
Drummond, a former staff nurse at Glasgow's
Southern General Hospital, said bosses ignored her 20 years of medical
experience. She told the paper: 'People trusted me and they confided in me. I
felt I was having to stab them in the back.' Anyone who claims the successor to
incapacity benefit, employment and support allowance (ESA),
because they are too sick or disabled to work must pass a work capability test,
designed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) but conducted by one of
Atos' 1,400 staff. The company has £3.1bn of government contracts. Ms Drummond,
who resigned from the company three-and-a-half years ago, said: 'If a woman was
wearing make-up and was nicely dressed, she was deemed as functioning and
capable. If someone came in with a toddler in tow, if they could manage a
child, they could surely work. If someone had a pet, they were able to function
and if they smiled while talking about a pet, I had to mark down that they
smiled spontaneously and were therefore not depressed.' A recent investigation
by The Independent revealed that more than 40 doctors and nurses working for
Atos have been reported to medical regulators for professional misconduct.
