THE firm carrying out controversial ‘work tests’ in the North-East has hit back at scathing criticism from MPs - insisting they are "compassionate"

A string of MPs condemned the assessments of tens of thousands of incapacity benefit (IB) claimants, in a Commons debate.

They warned that sick people were being wrongly found ‘fit for work’ and stripped of disability benefits, despite debilitating illnesses.

Kevan Jones (Lab; North Durham) highlighted reports of some claimants committing suicide - accusing ministers of having "blood on their hands".

But, in a response to The Northern Echo, Atos Healthcare - the private firm performing the ’work capability assessments’ (WCA) - defended its "professional service".

John Mackintosh, manager of the WCA, acknowledged that the company did not "get it right every time".

But he said: "We run a large, highly complex, national operation, with around 1,400 doctors, nurses and physiotherapists assessing around 15,000 people each week.

"We aren’t perfect. We do make mistakes and we know that these have real consequences which we take seriously, are sorry about and learn from.

"We ask for feedback from those being assessed about their experience of Atos Healthcare. This is generally positive, with about 90 per cent responding positively."

Mr Mackintosh also pointed out that, contrary to what many believed, the department for work and pensions (DWP) set the guidelines for the tests.

He added: "We purely assess capabilities. We don’t make decisions on benefits - that’s the sole remit of the government."

Just 0.2 per cent of assessments were rejected by the DWP - and less than one per cent of successful appeals were because of inaccurate assessments.

During last week’s debate, the Commons heard harrowing examples from the North-East of people judged fit for work, including: * A 51-year-old woman who, because of a bowel disease, "soils herself on a daily basis, requiring a change of clothes".

* A man in his late 50s, who - because of a brain tumour - is unable to "stand or walk for any length of time without feeling dizzy or in pain".

* A woman for work despite Crohn's disease, leading to severe diarrhoea, incontinence and abdominal pain, who was told she "could wear a nappy for work".

Former Labour minister, Michael Meacher, who led last week’s debate, said:  "Dreadful as the things done by Atos are, they are not ultimately in control.

"They could, and certainly should, walk away from so brutal and dehumanising a contract, but the real evil is the DWP."