NHS staff in welfare needs checks

Private contractor Atos won a £400m five-year contract last year from the Department of Work and Pensions for face-to-face assessments for the new personal independence payment (PIP) which replaces the disability living allowance in April.

Now the firm has sub-contracted clinical work back to the
public sector including the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, six other NHS trusts, and seven private providers,
two of which will work in Yorkshire.

Nick Barry, of Atos Healthcare, said: “This means that the face-to-face consultations will be undertaken by organisations with experienced staff who are used to dealing with people with disabling conditions, differing needs and challenges.”

Officials at the York trust say they expect up to 65,000 referrals over four years mainly in North Yorkshire and the East Riding.

Elizabeth Wood, from the trust, said: “This contract forms part of our ongoing ethos to support the wider public health agenda, benefiting people living in our communities and creating local employment opportunities.”