Just done an appeal for a client - only awarded 4 points on IB85 and won her appeal with 16. As usual IB85 littered with the standard lima responses about usually doing housework etc. Made me wonder if the comments in the section at the end of the MH part of the IB85 -Summary and medical evidence in support of the above - is similarly generated by the computer because of the information inputted and not the personal opinion of the doctor. The comment was as below and I'm sure Ive seen similar on previous submssions.

The customers mental health condition is very mild. The impact day to day is minimal

So, in less than an hour a computer, with minimal help from a Doctor (and a keyboard), who may or may not have any experience whatsoever of mental health issues, has decided that this claimant's mental health condition is very mild, to the extent that it has little noticable impact on his waking day.

That's quite impressive - I would venture a guess that it normally takes a Consultant with specific experience of mental health issues somewhat longer....

Because one human generated answer appears to generate another computer generated conclusion, we are seeing these little gems all the time. It's not a consoling thought that DLA/AA medicals conducted by ATOS might go over to the same type of reporting one day.

What I particulalry object to is that the computer appears to think that people actually like doing hosuework. Can't stand it myself. My house is lucky if i run the vac and the feather duster round once a month.

It isn't helped by all the people who say in their forms that they have trouble hovering. They need lesson from a hungry cat.

The good news is that Quentin Crisp once said that dust does not settle after three days....the bad news is that one can run the risk of being arrested for hovering ..............

In answer to the original question - yes, it is a standard preset phrase in LIMA, in the same way as other familiar phrases, and probably comes up as the default comment at that point in the report

(Brian)

Thanks. Just looked at 4 other ICB mental health appeals and same phrase on all of them. Don't know if any mileage in it but medical memeber of tribunal might take umbrage at a chip making a disgnosis.

I am not sure that there is any mileage in talking about that phrase itself, as most tribunals probably realise it is a preset phrase and tends to follow an assesment where the person is unlikely to score enough points to pass. By way of comparison, I have another case in front of me where the PCA was passed (but the medical is being used to nil a DLA claim) which says "the customer has a moderate mental health condition affecting the ability to cope with a number of activities of daily living" - another familiar preset phrase, although I have seen that used in cases scoring less than 10 points. In general, if the tribunal think your client should have passed, it will happily accept that the report is inaccurate, and in general it is the overall internal inconsistency in so many reports that leads to decisions being overturned, rather than one particular phrase or comment.

(Brian)