SOP Bulletin No. 94

Decision Support Unit

8 — th Floor, 259 Queen St, Brisbane — 1 — st Floor Blackburn House, 199 Grenfell St, Adelaide

Intranet site:  http://intranet/nat/comp/dp/Nop/dsu/dsudefault.htm

18 July 2005

THE FOLLOWING RMA SOPS WILL TAKE EFFECT ON 20 JULY, 2005

New SOPs	Nil
Revocations & Replacements	Seborrhoeic dermatitis Asbestosis Ankylosing spondylitis
Amendments	Chondromalacia patellae

IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL FEATURES

Seborrhoeic dermatitis

Revocation – 21 & 22 of '05 Replaces 50 and 51 of '99

• There have been minor changes to the definition without change in meaning.
• The Parkinson's factor now refers to secondary parkinsonism, the name of the SOP; previously the words Parkinson's syndrome were used.
• The personal hygiene factor has undergone a number of changes - the factor is now the same for onset and worsening and in both RH and BOP.  The factor now  requires a permanent physical disability or a psychiatric disease which is one of four in a specified list. 
• The limitation on maintaining personal hygiene now only has to be present immediately before the clinical onset/worsening (previously for at least 2 weeks RH/4weeks BOP).

Asbestosis

Revocation – 23 & 24 of '05 Replaces 138 and 139 of '96

• There have been minor changes to the definition without change in meaning.

• There are now two causal asbestos factors, one for exposure in an enclosed space, and the other for exposure in an open environment, as in the malignant neoplasm of the lung SOPs.
• The hours of exposure required is different for enclosed and open, and also varies between RH and BOP.  The time requirements are also different for RH and BOP.
• There is now a worsening factor for asbestos exposure, which does not specify enclosed or open i.e. there is no distinction between an enclosed and open environment.  However the hours of exposure required is different for RH and BOP.
• The causal factor for an enclosed space and the worsening factor use the words “material containing asbestos fi — bres was being applied, removed, dislodged, disturbed, cut or drilled”.  The factor for an open environment intentionally does not include the words “dislodged” and “disturbed”.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Revocation – 25 & 26 of '05 Replaces 261 and 262 of '95

• The definition in this SOP has been changed to list the extra-articular manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis, in order to clarify that they are covered by this SOP.  Most of these manifestations can be separate diseases in their own right and some are covered by other SOPs, e.g. fracture and osteoporosis.

• In a claimant with both ankylosing spondylitis and, say, osteoporosis:

• If on balance the osteoporosis is clearly a manifestation of the ankylosing spondylitis*, then only the ankylosing spondylitis SOP should be applied.
• Otherwise, the osteoporosis SOP should be applied in addition to the ankylosing spondylitis SOP.
• If unsure, obtain medical advice.
• The same principle applies for other possible manifestations, whether covered by a separate SOP or not.

(*Osteoporosis in ankylosing spondylitis tends to be peri-articular, not generalised).

• Other changes to the definition are minor wording changes only.

Chondromalacia patellae

Amendment – 27 of '05 Amends 34 of '01

• This amendment is to rectify a typographical error.  The version of the SOP in CCPS and on the share drive is correct.

Remember! If you are having any problems with SOPs, or SOPs in CCPS, talk to us!