Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) psychologists and psychiatrists are employed by each of the sub-contractors that his Department uses to conduct work capability assessments.

Work Capability Assessments are delivered by the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments who employ the following full-time equivalent healthcare professionals from the professions identified, based on a November 2017 data:

A) 239 full-time equivalent doctors directly employed by Centre for Health and Disability Assessments and in addition 18 full-time equivalent self-employed sessional doctors. It should be noted that some doctors may undertake other assessments within the Health Assessment Advisory Service contract.

B) 804 full-time equivalent nurses.

C) No psychologists or psychiatrists are currently employed by Centre for Health and Disability Assessments to conduct work capability assessments.