HC Deb 20 November 1997 vol 301 cc307-9W
Mr. Breed

To ask the secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of NHS pension applicants each year have been successful in gaining ill health retirement(a) on initial application to the Pensions Agency and its medical consultants, (b) on appeal to the Pensions Agency and its medical consultants, (c) on appeal to the Occupational Pensions Advisory Service, (d) on appeal to the Pensions Ombudsman and (e) on appeal to the Secretary of State for Health; [14802]

(2) what percentage of NHS pension applicants each year have been successful in gaining ill health retirement on (a) initial application to the Pensions Agency and their medical consultants, (b) appeal to the Pensions Agency and their medical consultants, (c) appeal to the Pensions Ombudsman and (d) an appeal to the Secretary of State.[15592]

Mr. Milburn

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the NHS Pensions Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. A. F. Cowan. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from Alec Cowan to Mr. Colin Breed, dated 20 November 1997The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, as it falls within my area of responsibility. We cannot answer your question precisely in the format asked because until I April 1997 the Agency operated open ended procedures for ill health applications. An unsuccessful applicant could submit fresh medical evidence at any time for reconsideration by the Agency's medical advisers. The table below therefore shows only the proportion of applications accepted in the financial years 1992–93 to 1996–97:

Percentage of accepted NHS ill health pension applications
Number
1992–93 98
1993–94 96
1994–95 91
1995–96 75
1996–97 84

During 1995–97 there was a special review exercise relating to cases involving Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, because of the particular difficulties of prognosis in that condition. 245 cases were independently reviewed by an Expert Group established by the Medical Adviser to the DSS. Of these 154 (63%) were accepted on appeal by the Secretary of State for Health.

Since 1 April 1997, when formal appeal mechanisms were introduced the position is as follows:

Per cent.
Accepted on initial application or remitted for review to await outcome of treatment 72
Accepted on appeal by NHSPA and their advisers 6
Accepted by OPAS 0
Accepted by Pensions Ombudsman 0
Accepted by Secretary of State 2

There were no successful applications on appeal to OPAS and the Pensions Ombudsman.

Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS pension applications for early retirement on the grounds of ill health there were in each year from 1992 to 1996 and in 1997 to date; and what percentage of the applicants in each year quoted stress as a contributory factor in causing their ill health.[14801]

Mr. Milburn

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the NHS Pensions Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. A. F. Cowan. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from Alec Cowan to Mr. Colin Breed, dated 20 November 1997The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, as it falls within my area of responsibility. The number of pensions applications for early retirement on the grounds of ill-health from 1992 to 1996 and in 1997 to date was:

Year Number of applications
1991–92 7,725
1992–93 8,497
1993–94 9,918
1994–95 10,355
1995–96 10,704
1996–97 8,005
1997–981 3,807
1 Estimated to 31 October 1997. We do not hold data that would indicate for each application the extent to which stress was a contributory factor in causing their ill-health.

Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times since 1992 the NHS Pensions Agency has changed the medical consultants it uses regarding decisions on ill-health retirement; what factors underlie the changes; and if he will make a statement.[15939]

Mr. Milburn

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the NHS Pensions Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. A. F. Cowan. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.

Letter from Alec Cowan to Mr. Colin Breed, dated 20 November 1997The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question as it falls within my area of responsibility. Since 1992 the Agency has changed the source of its expert medical advice once. Between 1992 and 1997 the Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS) of the Department of Social Security advised on all ill-health retirement applications under the NHS Pension Scheme. BAMS withdrew from this service with effect from 31 March 1997 and following an open competitive tendering exercise were replaced by Medical Insurance Services Ltd.