Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following information relating to ACC’s management of conflicts of interest, provider independence, and assessor-governance processes for the period 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2025 (or the most recent period available).

This request is limited to aggregated data, high-level documents, and governance frameworks.

1. Conflict-of-Interest Declarations & Management
1.1 Annual number of conflict-of-interest disclosures made by the following categories of external providers:

Independent Medical Examiners (IMEs)

vocational assessors

pain specialists

neuropsychological assessors

mental-health assessors

functional capacity or occupational assessors

external clinical reviewers

(Please provide aggregate numbers only.)

1.2 Number of cases each year where ACC:

required a change of assessor due to conflict of interest

identified an undeclared conflict after an assessment

took corrective action related to assessor independence

1.3 A high-level description of ACC’s process for verifying assessor independence, including:

checks for prior treating relationships

checks for commercial or contractual conflicts

rotation requirements

internal auditing mechanisms

(If a governance document exists, providing it — or an index — satisfies this request.)

2. Panel-Assessor Selection & Allocation
2.1 A copy of any internal documents outlining how assessors are selected or allocated, including guidance on:

rotating assessors

assignment to ICRA, review, or appeal matters

avoiding perception-of-bias issues

ensuring assessor diversity across specialties

If documents are extensive, a list or summary is acceptable.

2.2 Total number of assessments completed by each category of assessor per year (not individual assessor names), including:

general medical IMEs

orthopaedic specialists

pain specialists

neurologists

neuropsychologists

psychiatrists

vocational/functional assessors

(Providing figures by category helps maintain privacy while enabling transparency.)

3. Complaints & Quality Reviews Concerning Assessor Conduct
3.1 Number of complaints received each year relating to assessor conduct or independence, including categories such as:

perceived bias

inaccurate or insufficient assessment

procedural fairness concerns

failure to consider medical evidence

conflict-of-interest allegations

(Please provide aggregate counts only.)

3.2 The number of complaints substantiated each year, and any high-level corrective actions taken (e.g., retraining, removal from panel, review of processes).

4. External Provider Relationships & Oversight
4.1 High-level list of external provider categories that ACC contracts with for assessments, such as:

multidisciplinary rehabilitation providers

specialist assessment firms

report-writing services

multidisciplinary panel companies

(Not requesting provider names.)

4.2 A copy of ACC’s current or recent policies relating to:

assessor independence

conflict-of-interest management

quality-assurance of assessment reports

auditing of external assessors

escalation or removal procedures

If a policy manual or governance framework exists, an index is sufficient.

Format

I request the above in electronic format (PDF, Excel, or existing internal report formats).
If any part of this request is likely to require refinement, please advise and I will narrow the scope.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones