asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total number of medical referees in the employment of her Department and their terms of reference; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Medical Referees.
14.
The total number of medical referee personnel serving at present in my Department is 25 including the Medical Adviser and the Deputy Medical Adviser. Medical referees are full-time officers who carry out examinations of claimants at centres situated in all the cities and main towns throughout the country.
The medical referee system provides for second medical opinions as to incapacity of claimants to disability benefit, injury benefit and invalidity pensions. Medical assessments of claimants for disablement benefit under the occupational injuries scheme are also carried out.
Medical referees are an integral part of the control system of payment of benefit. Claimants to disability and injury benefit, in particular, are reviewed to ensure that they satisfy the qualifying condition for benefit which requires that they be so incapacitated as to be incapable of work. The medical adviser considers cases for examination in the light of circumstances including the duration of the claim and the nature of the certified incapacity.
Where an examination is required, the claimant's medical certifier is invited to provide an updated medical history. Unless the claimant is certified unable to attend, he is then requested to attend for an examination to which the certifier is also invited.
The system is continually reviewed and the present cadre includes an additional five doctors recruited during the year. As a result an additional 5,000 claimants will be called this year over the number called in 1985, that is 87,000 as against 82,000.