Reference of medical questions
30.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, the question whether a person is entitled to any, and if so what, awards under these Regulations shall be determined in the first instance by the police authority.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where the police authority are considering whether a person is permanently disabled, they shall refer for decision to a duly qualified medical practitioner selected by them the following questions—
(a)whether the person concerned is disabled;
(b)whether the disablement is likely to be permanent,
except that, in a case where the said questions have been referred for decision to a duly qualified medical practitioner under regulation H1(2) of the 1987 Regulations, a final decision of a medical authority on the said questions under Part H of the 1987 Regulations shall be binding for the purposes of these Regulations;
and, if they are further considering whether to grant an injury pension, shall so refer the following questions—
(c)whether the disablement is the result of an injury received in the execution of duty, and
(d)the degree of the person’s disablement;
and, if they are considering whether to revise an injury pension, shall so refer question (d) above.
(3) Where the police authority are considering eligibility for an award under regulation 12, paragraph (2) shall have effect as if the questions to be referred by them to a duly qualified medical practitioner were the following—
(a)whether the person concerned is totally disabled;
(b)whether that total disablement is likely to be permanent;
(c)whether the disablement is the result of an injury received in the execution of duty; and
(d)the date on which the person became totally disabled.
(4) A police authority, if they are considering exercising their powers under regulation 38 (reduction of award in case of default), shall refer for decision to a duly qualified medical practitioner selected by them the question whether the person concerned has brought about or substantially contributed to the disablement by his own default.
(5) The police authority may decide to refer a question in paragraph (2) or, as the case may be, (3) or (4) to a board of duly qualified medical practitioners instead of to a single duly qualified medical practitioner, and in such a case references in this regulation, regulations 31 and 32 and paragraphs 5(1)(a) and (2) of Schedule 6 to a medical practitioner shall be construed as if they were references to such a board.
(6) The decision of the selected medical practitioner on the question or questions referred to him under this regulation shall be expressed in the form of a report and shall, subject to regulations 31 and 32, be final.
(7) A copy of any such report shall be supplied to the person who is the subject of that report.