1. Email from ecdp member re: Atos reports and ecdp’s response
From: James Reymond [mailto:****@btinternet.com]
Sent: 04 November 2012 00:12
To: Reception
Subject: ATOS
3.11.2012
To The Management Committee
ECDP
It is with some alarm that I read in this weekends papers that ECDP are
recorded as having enabled ATOS's tendering processes for PIP and as an
ECDP member ask that your Committee take a clear public position as to your
past and intended future involvements with a Company that for a pure profit
motive are responsible for what many disabled people in this country see as a
flawed, divisive and dis-enabling attack that is setting back so much of the
progress made in disability empowerment over the last decade.
Whilst I fully understand that assessment and support reviews are quite
appropriate, they should be used as a positive path for ECDP members and
the disabled in this country to accentuate the positive aspects of the support
they are receiving and to form the basis of a pathway to accessing further
services or improved understanding of their needs for the benefit of
themselves and their carers and families, ECDP does not I believe hold their
memberships consent for facilitating ATOS's commercial presentations in
pursuit of multi-million pound profits now or in the future.
I ask that ECDP ask ATOS, affilliated organisations and media
representatives to attend a meeting at Essex Pass as soon as practically
possible and allow ECDP members, their families, their carer's tell ATOS how
their assessments have impacted on their lives and allow ATOS the
opportunity to reply directly.
If reports are incorrect and ECDP have in fact liased with and contributed to
ATOS's securement of the PIP and other contracts, I would as a member
appreciate an explanation as to why there has been no reference to this in
any newsletter or membership communication.
Please post this letter to the website and make it available to other ECDP
members who I am sure will feel as strongly as I do.
With best regards
James Reymond
[ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER REMOVED]
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2. From: Richard Watts
Sent: 05 November 2012 14:41
To: James Reymond [mailto:****@btinternet.com]
Subject: Re: ATOS
Dear James,
Many thanks for your email. To ensure a prompt reply, I am writing to you on
behalf of ecdp's Management Committee and Chief Executive Officer, and
will ensure they see a copy of your original email and the response below.
We too were incredibly disappointed to read that ecdp had been cited in Atos
Healthcare's bid to the Department for Work & Pensions regarding the
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) contract.
We first became aware of this when contacted by John Pring of the Disability
News Service. As a result, our Chief Executive - Mike Adams - gave an
interview to John, which was quoted from in his article on the matter. You can
read this article here: http://www.thefedonline.org.uk/federation-
news/item/1881-labour-calls-for-urgent-investigation-over-
%E2%80%98misleading%E2%80%99-atos-bid-information.html
Following that, we then published an update on our website for our members
and all other interested stakeholders with full information regarding this issue:
http://www.ecdp.org.uk/home/2012/10/30/ecdp-and-providers-of-the-pip-
assessment.html
This article highlights that:
• Mike was invited by the Department for Work and Pensions to present
at a PIP Framework Provider event to all potential providers (which
included Atos Healthcare) on 3 May. This presentation was on the
importance of the lived experience approach, and not about how ecdp
could potentially be involved in this area of work
• Prior to the provider event, ecdp had had a generic conversation with
Capita about the PIP contract. Capita were also in attendance at the
Framework Provider event
• ecdp was clear with every potential provider that, until we knew the
results of the contracting process, we were not going to commit to any
work in this area
• ecdp did not have any conversations with Atos Healthcare prior to their
bid being submitted. The only contact with Atos Healthcare was
through Mike’s presentation at the general framework event to all
potential providers on 3 May
• Mike met with a representative of Atos Healthcare on 20 September,
where he reaffirmed both the lived experience approach and that we
were not committing to work with anyone in this area.
Mike will be writing to Atos Healthcare today to understand how ecdp came to
be cited in their formal tender documents re: PIP.

3. Once we understand what the current situation is, we will then be in a better
position to understand what our options are, if any, in future.
Although PIP hasn't formally started, this would include your suggestion of
inviting someone from Atos Healthcare to hear firsthand from members,
families and their carers regarding Atos Healthcare assessments - regarding
Disability Living Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment - and their
impact.
I will keep you updated accordingly, and will post a copy of your original email
(without personal information) and this response to our website.
Kind regards,
Rich, on behalf of ecdp's Management Board
Director of Policy & Development, ecdp