In our story below - Disability or Denial? - we reported on a day of action against 'health testing' firm Atos at the Islington Business Centre on 30 September. This action has now increased in magnitude, with over 100 organisations, doctors, nurses and other prominent people signing a letter to the BMJ Group calling on them to end all business relationships with the notorious Atos Healthcare. Atos Healthcare is part of Atos, the French multinational IT company which operates in 42 countries and which has the IT contract for the Olympic Games. In a major blow for the government's welfare policy, the signatories are urging the BMJ to ban Atos Healthcare from their upcoming Careers Fair and to refuse to advertise any more vacancies for the company.

Campaigners are angry at Atos Healthcare's involvement in the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) which involves sick and disabled benefit claimants in a computer-based testing regime which has been dubbed 'callous and cruel'. Thousands of people, some with terminal or life-threatening conditions, have been found fit for work and their sickness benefits stopped or refused. Up to 70% of appeals heard at benefits tribunal are successful, with benefits being reinstated.  But the stress and the testing regime has made vulnerable claimants fear for the future, and driven several people to an early grave, including through suicide.  A Derbyshire man died of a heart attack the day before his second Atos test – he had been refused once and gone through the lengthy appeal process, but by that time, the test had come round again. (On top of this, the DWP has now written to sick and terminally-ill claimants saying their contributions-based benefit will stop after one year under the Welfare Reform Bill. However, the measure is opposed by the Lib Dems and has not yet been passed by Parliament.)

The letter asserts that Atos kills and that medical professionals who lend it credibility give it a licence to kill.

Signatories include: Dr Ron Singer, president of the  Medical Practitioners' Union, Dr Jillian Creasy, a Sheffield GP and Green Party councillor who recently tabled a motion calling on Atos to be removed from the WCA, Dr Felicity de Zulueta, Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Nushra Mansuri, Professional Officer at the British Association of Social Workers, John McDonnell MP, other prominent health and social care professionals and academics, disability organisations, claimant and anti-poverty groups, branches of unions, including PCS which represents DWP and tax staff, and anti-cuts campaigners. Signatories along with the full text of the letter can be found at: http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/open-letter-on-atos-healthcare-to-the-bmj-and-rcn/

Claire Glasman from WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities), one of five groups initiating the letter, said: 'Their association with the BMJ gives Atos medical credibility. The decisions they make have nothing to do with patient welfare, they are exactly the opposite.' Linda Burnip, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), said: 'It is important to target recruitment because we think people should know who they are going to work for and what disabled people think about them. We hope no-one with any moral scruples would then choose to work for such a corrupt and despised company.'

A demonstration is due to be held outside the BMJ Recruitment Fair at noon on Friday 30th September as part of the next National Day of Action Against Atos. Protests and demonstrations are also being organised in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Chatham, Chester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield, York, Hastings, Nottingham with several other cities expected to take part. For full details of all protests visit:   http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/

The letter also targets the Royal College of Nursing, another business partner of Atos, which held its Jobs Fair on the 13-14 September.

This Open Letter was initiated by:
· Benefit Claimants Fightback  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
· Black Triangle  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Scotland contact: 07778 316875
· Defend Welfare network
· Disabled People Against Cuts  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it contact: 07714 927533
· WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  Tel: 020 7482 2496.