PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Social Security Benefits: Scotland (16 December 2016)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of assessment reports conducted by contractors for Scottish claimants of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments were carried out by a qualified doctor in each of the last four quarters for which information is available.

Asked by:
Ian Murray (Labour)

All healthcare professionals undertaking assessments on behalf of the Department are registered practitioners (occupational therapists, nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and paramedics) who have met requirements around training, post-qualification experience and competence.

The number of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) face to face assessments completed by healthcare professionals in Scotland was:

Quarter	Total Assessments	By Doctors
December 2015 to February 2016	13,242	2,051 (15.48%)
March 2016 to May 2016	14,299	2,064 (14.43%)
June 2016 to August 2016	15,479	2,039 (13.17%)
September 2016 to November 2016	16,397	2,539 (15.48%)

(Source: Data provided by CHDA)

None of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments in Scotland were completed by a qualified doctor. The Department does not require or specify that PIP assessments are carried out by doctors.

Answered by:
Penny Mordaunt (Conservative)
22 December 2016