§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the training needs of examining medical practitioners and adjudicating officers in the Disability Benefits Unit of the Benefits Agency in relation to Guillain Barré syndrome.[122915]
§ Mr. BayleyThe training of examining medical practitioners and decision makers for Disability Living Allowance concentrates on explaining disability in functional terms and in particular on the assessment of individual care and mobility needs, rather than being focused on particular diagnoses. The whole of the examining medical practitioner training is currently being reviewed and any revised package will cover the disabling effects likely to arise from conditions such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome. In addition, both examining medical practitioners and decision makers have access to the Disability Handbook. This is written by the Department's Medical Policy Group and contains guidance on the care and mobility needs likely to arise from a range of medical conditions. It contains a specific section on Guillain-Barré syndrome which sets out the level and range of needs likely to arise in people with this disease.