Government seeks view on medical reporting to assist in Whiplash reforms

The Government says that “provision of good quality independent medical evidence to support road traffic accident (RTA) related personal injury claims under £5,000, remains a key element of (its) whiplash reform programme.”

The Ministry of Justice are seeking views on introducing supplementary qualifying criteria for MROs wishing to provide medical reports to unrepresented claimants.

The MedCo Qualifying Criteria (QC) ensure that medical reporting organisations (MROs) already registered, as well as those wishing to register, with MedCo are properly constituted businesses. This means that MROs have satisfactory systems and sufficient resources in place to operate to the minimum required standards for both business-to-business operations and, where applicable as an MRO to unrepresented claimants.

The survey has 20 questions which seek the views of MedCo registered MROs on revised QC for all MROs and new supplementary QC for MROs wishing to undertake work with unrepresented claimants. Part 2 (eight questions) focuses on “New Supplementary QC for MROs opting-in to do unrepresented claimant work “. Key requirements for MROs include a provision to provide unrepresented claimants with full explanations of the medico-legal system, so that they fully understand the steps and processes involved in obtaining a medical report and the information to be supplied to unrepresented claimants on the medical reporting process by the MRO handling their medical report.

Authored by ARAG