§ Paul HolmesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time spent by SchlumbergerSema doctors on an individual personal capability assessment was in each year since 1997(a) broken down by region and (b) in the UK as a whole; and if he will make a statement. [134194]
§ Maria EagleDoctors are encouraged to spend as long as required to carry out an appropriate assessment. Some types of disabling conditions will take longer than others to assess, depending on the nature of the disability.
The available information is in the table.
676W
Average time taken (in minutes) to complete the personal capability assessment Region 2000 2001 2002 2003 East Midlands 39.0 41.2 39.2 37.7 Eastern 40.0 40.0 37.4 37.6 London 38.8 37.5 33.7 36.6 North East 35.9 32.9 32.4 34.8 North West 38.1 36.3 32.8 33.2 Scotland 39.8 38.8 37.2 39.5 South East 37.6 36.9 34.4 35.6 South West 37.7 36.3 35.3 38.0 Wales 35.5 34.5 33.9 35.6 West Midlands 40.7 41.0 38.4 37.4 Yorks & Number 34.2 35.7 36.0 35.9 National 37.8 37.1 35.2 36.3 Notes:
The information requested is not available for the period 1997 to 1999
The timings given in the above table relate to the average time the doctors spend interviewing and assessing the customer and completing the report.
Source:
SchlumbergerSema