Request

Similar to FOI-01375 [https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-01375] can I request information regarding ill health applications around ME/CFS.

Split into age groups (eg 18-30, 31-40 etc - or whatever is easier with your data), can you provide the following data split between 2021, 2022 and 2023 (either calendar year, or financial year, whichever is easier) :

[Q1] How many ill health applications have been processed each year for ME/CFS

Of those:

[Q2] - How many received Tier 1 approval in each of the years, in each age range

[Q3] - How many received Tier 2 approval in each of the years, in each age range

[Q4] - How many were rejected in each of the years, in each age range

If this takes too much time to collate, please feel free to concentrate on the most recent year.

Date Range: 01/01/21 to 31/12/23

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 19 October 2024.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested on behalf of Medigold and a copy of the information is attached.

Medigold are independent medical advisors and have been used by NHS Pensions since 2017. They’re specially trained occupational health physicians and their role is to assess an applicant’s capacity or incapacity for work against the NHS Pension Scheme regulations. They’re experts in seeking, evaluating and using the evidence of clinical specialists to assess the functional consequence of an applicant’s medical condition and how that change in function impacts on their capacity or incapacity for work. Medigold’s independent medical advisors carry out this assessment of the medical evidence and offer a recommendation to NHS Pensions. They can also commission further medical evidence if they consider it relevant and helpful to their assessment.

All data is provided by calendar year.

2024 data is provided pro-rata.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2024” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.