§ Mr. Terry FieldsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants were examined by doctors acting on behalf of his Department for the purpose of assessing attendance allowance and mobility allowance claims over the last 12 months; and what was the average fee paid to doctors for such examinations.
§ Mr. ScottApproximately 700,000 claimants were examined in connection with claims to attendance and mobility allowances in the last 12 months. An average fee figure is not available. The fee per case in the financial year 1989–90 varied between £25.90 and £69.80 depending on the location and the duration of the examination. The great majority of these would be at or near the lower end of that range.
§ Mr. Terry FieldsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints his Department has received about doctors arising from examinations for mobility allowance and attendance allowance; and how such complaints are dealt with.
§ Mr. ScottNo central record is kept of the number of complaints against examining medical practitioners—EMPs. In fact, many apparent complaints are appeals against the decision made. The number of complaints against the doctors' conduct, manner or behaviour is very small in relation to the 700,000 examinations carried out annually.
Each of these complaints is investigated by the Department's regional office senior medical officer. The doctor is sent a copy of the report of the examination complained about and of the claimant's complaint and asked for his or her comments. Subsequent action depends on the individual complaint and the past record of the EMP. In extreme cases the doctor's employment on this work may be terminated forthwith and an explanation of the reason sent to him or her.
If it appears that the doctor requires guidance on the attitude required to be shown to claimants in order to prevent further complaints this is done. If it becomes clear that despite such guidance the doctor is unsuited to the work, for one reason or another, further work is not made available and an explanation is sent to the doctor.
In all cases a detailed reply is sent to the complainant including, where appropriate, an indication of action which has been taken as a result of the complaint.
§ Mr. Terry FieldsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many medical centres his Department operates for the purpose of medical examinations for people who claim mobility allowance; and how many medical centres there are in each region.
§ Mr. ScottExaminations in connection with initial and renewal claims to mobility allowance are normally carried458W out in the examining doctor's own surgery premises. Appeals and references to a medical board are dealt with in the Department's medical adjudication centres which also deal with industrial injuries, war pensions and severe disablement allowance examinations.
The number of these centres is 94, divided among the regions as follows: Numbers North-East 13 London North 14 London South 11 Wales/South-West 17 Midlands 14 North-West 12 Scotland 13