Delegates often need to liaise with medical practitioners and their staff, usually to request information they may have on file in order to progress a client’s claim.
Communication should focus on finalising a client's claim as efficiently and accurately as possible. Things to keep in mind:
Medical treatment for full time serving members is usually provided by Defence.
Scenario – Request to provide a TRN before the claim has been reviewed
Not all claims will require additional information. A TRN will be issued once we have confirmed that the information is needed to investigate the claim.
Scenario – Request to provide multiple TRNs
There is no need for separate TRNs to be issued for consultation and report writing.
Instructions on how to generate a TRN are in Taskcard - Generating Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
TRNs can be generated in letters or individually.
TRNs should not be issued:
TRNs should only be generated:
Guidance on how to determine if the information is needed is provided in When to request additional medical information.
Delegates have a range of options available when seeking medical information for assessing a claim. Options include:
Medical practitioners and their staff may use medical terminology without providing an explanation of what those terms mean. If delegates are uncertain of complex medical issues relating to the information request, they should discuss this with a medical adviser who may contact the medical practitioner if necessary.
For further information on medical terminology refer to the medical terminology reference table (HP# 22636457E).
Medical evidence is used by the delegate to reach their own conclusion about the relevant determination. It allows the delegate to:
