6.5.5 Quality of Medical Certification/Opinion on Incapacity

It is the delegate's responsibility to form an opinion on a person's entitlement to incapacity payments.  Medical advice and certification of the nature and effects of the person's condition are necessary to this process.  Medical reports and certificates are however, only advisory.  Delegates are required to consider all such advice but in its context and are not obliged to accept a certificate or the conclusions of a medical report, simply because that opinion has been presented.  Delegates are free to seek further justification for a medical certificate from its author, or set aside the certificate or report and seek another opinion.