HC Deb 24 July 1986 vol 102 cc439-42W
Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give for each year since 1975, and for each medical boarding centre, the number of awards based on disablement assessments of (a) 10 per cent., (b)20 per cent., (c) 30 per cent.,(d) 40 per cent., (e) 50 per cent.,(f) 60 per cent.,(g) 70 per cent.,(h) 80 per cent.,(i) 90 per cent., (j) 100 per cent., respectively;

(2) if he will give for each prescribed disease and for each year since 1975 the number of applicants to special medical hoards, the number of awards, the number of appeals, and the number of successful appeals;

(3) if he will give for each medical boarding centre for every year since 1975 the number of cases referred, the number of awards, the number of appeals heard, and the number of successful appeals.

Mr. Newton

I shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations have been made to him regarding medical boarding centres.

Mr. Tony Newton

We occasionally receive representations about medical boarding centres from hon. Members, organisations and members of the public. In recent weeks we have received representations about medical hoarding centres (respiratory diseases) from the General Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union and the Society for the Prevention of Asbestosis and Industrial Diseases.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what regulations exist to ensure no conflicts of interest are experienced by members of, or advisers to, special medical boards.

Mr. Newton

Regulation 36(1) of the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations 1984 provides that a person shall not act as a member of a special medical board in any case if he is or may be directly affected by that case. The same regulation also provides that a person shall not act as a board member if he has taken any part in a case as a medical assessor or as a medical practitioner who has regularly attended the claimant or to whom any question has been referred for report or as an employer or as a witness.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the names, qualifications and background of all the doctors employed by his Department at each medical boarding centre to examine applicants to special medical boards, including both full-time employees and part-time advisers or examiners.

Mr. Newton

The names and qualifications of all medical practitioners appointed to serve on special medical boards at each medical boarding centre (respiratory diseases) are given in the table. Details of their background and experience can be found in the current edition of the "Medical Directory", which is in the Library.

London

Full-time

  • Dr. T. J. G. Phillips, MBBS, MRCP, MFOM, DCH
  • Dr. F. G. Ward, MB, ChB, MFOM
  • Dr. N. G. Pearson, MBBS, MFCM
  • Dr. W. R. Parkes, MD, FRCP, FFOM, OBE

Part-time

  • Dr. R. G. B. Williamson, MB, BCh, FRCP, MFOM
  • Dr. K. W. Browne, MBBS, MRCS, LRCP, MSC, MA
  • Dr. M. A. Erooga, MBBS
  • Dr. R. M. Archibald, MB, ChB, FFOM, DIH
  • Dr. B. Purdy, MB, ChB, DPH

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Full-time

  • Dr. J. E. M. Hutchinson, MBBS
  • Dr. H. Fulton, MB, ChB, MA

Part-time

  • Dr. B. Couts, MD, MB, ChB
  • Dr. J. M. Gilmore, MD, MB,ChB, DPH

Glasgow

Full-time

  • Dr. W. R. Brown, LRCP, LRCS, LRFPS, MFOM
  • Dr. R. S. H. Pasqual, MB, BCh, DPH

Part-time

  • Dr. N. Home, MB, ChB, FRCP
  • Dr. G. Johnston, MB, ChB, FRCP, BSc, FRPR
  • Dr. I. MacLeod, MB, ChB, DPH, MFOM

Manchester

Full-time

  • Dr. A. N. Dempsey, MB, ChB, MFOM, BAO
  • Dr. R. G. Rooke, BM, ChB, MFOM
  • Dr. G. A. Davenport, MB, ChB, MFOM
  • Dr. R. S. Simpson, BM, BCh

Part-time

  • Dr. J. B. Dowler, MB, ChB
  • Dr. W. B. Lister, MD, LRCP, LRCS, LRPFS
  • Dr. G. J. Ryder, MB, ChB, MRCS, LRCP

Cardiff

Full-time

  • Dr. D. J. Jones, MB, ChB, BSc.
  • Dr. J. B. Harse, MB, BCh, MRCS, LRCP, DMJ
  • Dr. H. B. Tinsley, LRCPI&LM, LRCSI&LM
  • Dr. C. Vinayagamoorthy, MBBS, MRCP

Part-time

  • Dr. J. A. Howarth, MB, ChB, MFOM
  • Dr. M. C. Conroy, LCRPI&LM, LRCSI&LM
  • Dr. H. R. S. Harley, MS, MBBS, MRCS, LRCP
  • Dr. A. Little, MRCS, LRCP
  • Dr. J. P. Lyons, MD, MB, BCh, BAO, TDD, MFOM
  • Dr. G. J. Ryder, MB, BCh, MRCS, LRCP
  • Dr. D. M. Dunbar, MB, BCh

Sheffield

Full-time

  • Dr. V. E. Sherburn, MB, ChB, MRCS, LRCP, AFOM
  • Dr. J. A. Cobb, MBBS, DA
  • Dr. Z. Rahman, MBBS, DTM&H, DTCD
  • Dr. Q. A. Sayed, MBBS, DTM&H, DTCD

Part-time

  • Dr. G. Ashe, MB, ChB, DTM&H, TDD
  • Dr. F. N. C. Holden, MD, MBBS, MRCS, LRCP
  • Dr. W. H. Oldershaw, MB, ChB, MFOM
  • Dr. J. A. Dick, MB, ChB

Stoke-on-Trent

Full-time

  • Dr. B. Simpson, MB, ChB, AFOM
  • Dr. E. L. F. Brazenor, MBBS
  • Dr. A. K. Chatterjee, MD, MBBS, MRCP, MFOM, DTCD

Part-time

  • Dr. H. J. T. Ross, FRCP, LRCP, LRCS, LRFPS
  • Dr. W. H. R. Smith, MBBS, MRCS, LRCP
  • Dr. J. McKinnon, MD, MB, ChB, FRCP
  • Dr. M. K. Coles, MBBS, MRCS, LRCP

Swansea

Full-time

  • Dr. T. J. Roy, MBBS

Part-time

  • Dr. I. G. Jones, MSc, MD, FRCP, MBBS
  • Dr. R. L. Sadler, BSc, MB, ChB, DPH

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will place in the Library the findings of the medical appeals tribunals on all occasions since 1975 when they have upheld appeals against decisions of the special medical boards.

Mr. Newton

This is a matter for the president of the Medical Appeal Tribunals, his honour Judge Byrt QC, but I understand that because the findings of medical appeal tribunals are confidential to the parties to an appeal there can be no question of the general publication of such findings.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the cost of each medical boarding centre in every year since 1978–79.

Mr. Newton

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases). The following table shows total costs of each centre for the financial year 1985–86, the only year for which information is available in the form requested. These are provisional figures.

Medical boarding centre Cost
£
Newcastle 205,800
Sheffield 371,200
Cardiff 399,700
Stoke 236,500
Glasgow 165,000
London 180,700
Swansea 186,600
Manchester 289,500

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the responsibilities of medical boarding centres.

Mr. Newton

I assume the hon. Member is referring to medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases). In addition to their medical boarding functions medical practitioners in these boarding centres provide reports on diagnosis and recrudescence questions referred by adjudication officers. They carry out initial and perodical examinations of workers in certain dusty occupations. They also advise adjudication officers about the cause of death in connection with claims for death benefit under the industrial injuries scheme and the pneumoconiosis, byssinosis and miscellaneous diseases benefit scheme.