HC Deb 27 June 1988 vol 136 cc128-9W
Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances it is permissible for doctors to charge patients for reports in connection with claims for attendance allowance.

Mr. Scott

Fees for medical reports commissioned by the Attendance Allowance Board, or its delegated doctors, are paid by the Department in accordance with a scale of charges negotiated and agreed with organisations representing the medical profession. Where a disabled person chooses to submit a medical report in support of a claim to attendance allowance, the doctor should provide this free of charge if the disabled person is under observation or receiving treatment and the information required is reasonably incidental to that observation or treatment. If, however, the doctor has to examine the disabled person or needs to undertake a considerable amount of work in making extracts from case notes for the report, the doctor can charge a fee.