Department for Work and Pensions: Training

(asked on 17th October 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence-based protocol on ME are healthcare professionals employed by his Department required to learn as part of their training.


Answered by
Sarah Newton Portrait
Sarah Newton
This question was answered on 24th October 2018

Functional assessments are delivered on behalf of the Department by a range of suppliers. Health Professionals carrying out these functional assessments have access to training such as evidence based protocols, e-learning modules or case studies as well as keeping knowledge up to date through Continuous Professional Development. Health Professionals are not required to be an expert in a particular medical condition. They are expected to have a broad knowledge of different medical conditions and work with claimants to assess how these affect their daily life.

All Health Professionals must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training and competence. They must be an occupational therapist, level 1 nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic or doctor and must also be fully registered and have at least 2 years post full-registration experience, although this can be waived in exceptional circumstances by the Department.

DWP are committed to ensuring claimants receive high quality, objective and accurate assessments. We continue to work extensively with providers to make improvements to guidance and training in order to ensure the quality of the services are continuously improved.

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