Ill-Health
The arrangements for ill-health retirement under the 2015 Scheme are complex. There is a set order of procedure and before any decision can be made, the Police Force must appoint a duly qualified Medical Practitioner (the 'Selected Medical Practitioner' (SMP) to certify your condition.
In determining whether your condition is permanent (likely to continue until NPA or death, whichever occurs first), it will be assumed that you are receiving the appropriate medical treatment. This does not include treatment that the Police Force decides is reasonable for you to refuse. The SMP’s determination will be based on a medical examination (unless there are very exceptional circumstances).
Even if you are assessed as permanently medically unfit for the performance of the ordinary duties of a member of the Police Force, it does NOT automatically mean that you will be retired on ill-health grounds. The Police Force will consider your specific medical condition and overall capabilities to see whether there are any alternative duties which you could undertake whilst remaining a member of the Police Force.
There are two levels of ill-health retirement:
- If you are permanently medically unfit for the ordinary duties of a member of the Police Force, you may be entitled to a lower tier ill-health pension.
- If you are permanently medically unfit for the ordinary duties of a member of the Police Force and in addition you are permanently medically unfit for any regular employment, you may also be entitled to an enhanced upper tier ill-health pension. For this purpose, ‘regular employment’ means employment for an annual average of at least 30 hours per week.