§ Dr. NaysmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many medically qualified panel members appointed under the Social Security Act 1998 are(a) employed and (b) contracted on a sessional basis, by the Sema Group to carry out medical assessments on behalf of the Benefits Agency; [103733]
(2) how many medically qualified panel members appointed under the Social Security Act 1998 were formerly (a) employed and (b) contracted on a sessional basis, by the (i) Benefits Agency and (ii) Sema Group to carry out medical assessments in connection with social security benefit claims. [103732]
§ Mr. BayleyThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
Salaried staff employed by Medical Services (SEMA) who are medically qualified are excluded by the Lord Chancellor's Department from appointment as medically qualified Appeals Panel Members.
On leaving full-time employment for Medical Services (SEMA), the doctors are excluded from undertaking Tribunal work for a period of two years. There is only a finite pool of doctors who possess the requisite skills in Disability Assessment Medicine and also meet the criteria for appointment as Medical Members of the Appeals Panel. The great majority of these doctors are engaged as part-time sessional fee paid doctors by Nestor Disability Analysis Ltd (NDA) which is an approved subcontractor to SEMA Group in the delivery of Medical Services on behalf of the Benefits Agency. Doctors who are engaged by Medical Services (SEMA) via NDA are allowed to be appointed as medical members of Appeals panels.
The Appeals Service has in place stringent procedures to ensure that medical members of Appeals Panels do not sit on Tribunals where the Appellant has had any previous professional relationships with a medical member or where a medical member has had any involvement whatsoever in giving advice to, or undertaking assessments for, the first tier decision making process which is under appeal.