Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

45Review of medical decisions

(1)Any decision under this Act of an adjudicating medical practitioner or a medical appeal tribunal may be reviewed at any time by an adjudicating medical practitioner if satisfied that the decision was given in ignorance of a material fact or was based on a mistake as to a material fact.

(2)Any decision under this Act of an adjudicating medical practitioner may be reviewed at any time by such a practitioner if he is satisfied that the decision was erroneous in point of law.

(3)Regulations may provide that a decision may not be reviewed under subsection (1) above unless the adjudicating medical practitioner is satisfied as mentioned in that subsection by fresh evidence.

(4)Any assessment of the extent of the disablement resulting from the relevant loss of faculty may also be reviewed by an adjudicating medical practitioner if he is satisfied that since the making of the assessment there has been an unforeseen aggravation of the results of the relevant injury.

(5)Where in connection with a claim for disablement benefit made after 20th October 1953 it is decided that the relevant accident has not resulted in a loss of faculty, the decision—

(a)may be reviewed under subsection (4) above as if it were an assessment of the extent of disablement resulting from a relevant loss of faculty; but

(b)subject to any further decision on appeal or review, shall be treated as deciding the question whether the relevant accident had so resulted both for the time about which the decision was given and for any subsequent time.

(6)For the purposes of subsection (5) above, a final assessment of the extent of the disablement resulting from a loss of faculty made for a period limited by reference to a definite date shall be treated as deciding that at that date the relevant accident had not resulted in a loss of faculty.

(7)An assessment made, confirmed or varied by a medical appeal tribunal shall not be reviewed under subsection (4) above without the leave of a medical appeal tribunal, and (notwithstanding the provisions of Part V of the Contributions and Benefits Act) on a review under that subsection the period to be taken into account by any revised assessment shall only include a period before the date of the application for the review if and in so far as regulations so provide.

(8)Subject to the foregoing provisions of this section, an adjudicating medical practitioner may deal with a case on a review in any manner in which he could deal with it on an original reference to him, and in particular may in any case relating to disablement benefit make a provisional assessment notwithstanding that the assessment under review was final.

(9)Section 44 above applies to an application for a review under this section and to a decision of an adjudicating medical practitioner in connection with such an application as it applies to an original claim for disablement benefit or severe disablement allowance, as the case may be, and to a decision of an adjudicating medical practitioner in connection with such a claim.

(10)In subsection (6) above the reference to a final assessment does not include an assessment made for the purpose of section 12(1)(a) or (b) of the [1946 c. 21 (N.I.).] National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1946 as originally enacted and having the effect that benefit is not payable.