Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many medically qualified staff have been employed by Atos in (a) Gloucestershire and (b) Gloucester in each of the last five years.

Atos Healthcare has an Assessment Centre in Gloucester undertaking ESA/IBR assessments for those claimants living in Gloucestershire.

Whilst there are a small number of medically qualified personnel permanently based at Gloucester Assessment Centre, other medically qualified personnel also regularly complete assessments at this site.

The number of medically qualified personnel undertaking ESA / IBR assessments at Gloucester Assessment Centre in each of the last five years is as follows:-

Sept 09 to Aug 10 - 24

Sept 10 to Aug 11 – 41

Sept 11 to Aug 12 – 24

Sept 12 to Aug 13 – 25

Sept 13 to Aug 14 – 16

The reason the number of medically qualified personnel undertaking ESA/IBR assessments at Gloucester Assessment Centre in each of the last five years has reduced is due to there now being a regular team of 4 practitioners based in Gloucester, which has meant fewer practitioners travelling from other Centres to conduct assessments in Gloucester.