Guidance For Independent Qualified Medical Practitioners

Conference notes the guidance for IQMPs as contained in the CLG FPS circular 8/2007. The guidance sets out criteria within the pension scheme on permanent disability, fitness for regular work, qualifying injury and degree of disablement. The IQMP guidance makes it clear that in order to satisfy the criteria for a pension, a member must be incapable of all duties of their role, not just those of firefighting, and disablement must be permanent. Although the IQMP is there to provide FRAs with a medical opinion, the guidance also makes reference to the following non-medical areas:- ● Case Law ● Reasonable adjustments ● Managerial submissions, and ● That all appropriate treatment options have been exhausted. This guidance is resulting in members who are unable to perform their duties due to ill health, with no other employment available within the FRA, being subject to having their employment terminated on medical capability. This is totally unacceptable. Conference instructs the Executive Council to urgently highlight and raise this matter with representatives of CLG and ministers to seek amendments to the current guidance agreed by all parties. The Executive Council should also raise awareness with members and officials of the union with an industrial campaign aimed at bringing about changes to the guidance.