1. health and fitness

UKIM and MedCo
Choose UK Independent Medical.
A safe pair of hands.
From 6th April 2015 changes to the CPR and the Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value PI Claims
in RTA (RTA Protocol) are being made. These changes include the introduction of the MedCo
Portal which must be used for sourcing all initial medical reports in soft tissue injury claims
brought under the RTA Protocol where the CNF is submitted on or after 6th April 2015.
By now you should have registered for MedCo. Once you are in a position to procure a
medico-legal report, you must login to MedCo and either choose a Medical Reporting
Organisation (MRO) or a Medical Expert from a randomly generated list.
If you select an MRO, MedCo will generate a random list which will include one high volume
national MRO and six regional MROs. Both UK Independent Medical (UKIM) and its sister
company Premex, are registered as high volume national MROs.
UKIM and MedCo
BE SAFE AND SECURE WITH UKIM
INSTRUCTING UKIM
Choosing a national agency will ensure you receive:
To make the process easy for you, we just request that you always provide the
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Expertise: national panel of experienced and fully vetted experts, covering
all disciplines and locations
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Data protection and information security: secure processing of personal data,
including data exchange with medical experts through secure portal / links
and report upload facilities
MedCo case ID when instructing UKIM on a MedCo case. This ensures that we
can identify the case correctly and allows us to upload certain key data from
the report on an anonymised basis once the report is completed and the unique
MedCo Case ID ties to the search result.
Please note that not providing a MedCo Case ID on a MedCo case will result in
non-compliance with the new rules. You will be able to instruct and communicate
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Predictable high quality service levels: fast turnaround times
with UKIM in the same way as you do now.
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Convenience: provides a full range of complementary services including
CONTACT
Rehabilitation, Pagination and a team specialising and highly skilled in dealing
with your more complex cases requirements.
Our sister company Premex may also be returned in your search results,
if so, please take advantage of the same great service provided by a trusted
tier one MRO.
If you have any specific queries regarding MedCo please email
[email protected] or call 0844 811 8546.
UKIM and MedCo
1.WHEN SHOULD I USE THE MEDCO PORTAL?
As you will be aware, from the 6th April 2015 there will be changes to the CPR
and the Pre Action Protocol (PAP) for Low Value PI Claims in RTA (RTA Protocol).
These changes include the introduction of the MedCo Portal, which must be
The MedCo portal will be introduced in April 2015 and relates to how a medical
report should be procured. The solicitor can no longer choose a preferred MRO
and instead must use the MedCo system which will return a list of randomly
generated MROs or individual medical experts to select from.
used for sourcing initial medical reports related to soft tissue injury claims. The
3.WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE ALREADY INSTRUCTED A MEDICAL REPORT
MedCo portal will randomly generate a list of MROs or direct medical experts for
BUT HAVE NOT SUBMITTED MY CNF PRIOR TO THE 6TH APRIL?
the solicitor to choose from. Once the solicitor has selected an MRO the portal
will create a unique ‘MedCo Case ID’ which must be provided to the MRO by the
solicitor and displayed on the Medical Report.
If you have already instructed UKIM for a medical report but do not submit
the CNF to the Claims Portal before 6th April 2015, we believe you will have to
process a new instruction - selecting either an MRO or medical expert via the
“‘Soft Tissue Injury Claim’ means a claim brought by an occupant of a motor
MedCo portal to ensure you are complying with CPR and the RTA Protocol. This
vehicle where the significant physical injury caused is a soft tissue injury and
might mean you may not be able to instruct your preferred provider.
includes claims where there is a minor psychological injury secondary
in significance to the physical injury.”
The claimant must have been the occupant of a motor vehicle so pedestrians,
cyclists and motor cyclists are excluded. Therefore, you can continue to instruct
UKIM as normal for these cases.
Please therefore ensure, wherever possible, that you submit the CNF through
the portal prior to 6th April on all cases where you have already instructed a
Medical Report as failure to do this may result in unrecoverable fees with UKIM.
4.DO WE STILL NEED TO SOURCE THE REPORT THROUGH MEDCO IN CASES
WHICH FALL OUT OF THE MOJ PORTAL (PRIOR TO THE MEDICAL REPORT
2.HOW DOES MEDCO RELATE TO FIXED FEE MEDICALS?
BEING INSTRUCTED)?
In October 2014 the MoJ introduced new fixed fees for medical reports related
The MoJ believe that this is clearly explained in the CPR amendments to part 16
to “soft tissue injuries”. Fixed fees were introduced to Part 45 of the CPR and
and 38 and the PAP. Their view is that medical reports must always be obtained
relates to a solicitor being able to receive a fixed recoverable cost of £180+VAT
from an MRO or medical expert generated by MedCo in respect of claims which
on an initial medical report for a soft tissue injury claim.
start under the RTA PAP even where they fall out of the MoJ Portal for any reason.
UKIM and MedCo
5.WHAT HAPPENS IF UKIM DOES NOT RECEIVE A MEDCO CASE ID ON A SOFT
8.WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE MEDICAL EXPERT
TISSUE INJURY CLAIM?
WHO PRODUCED THE REPORT?
If UKIM does not receive a MedCo Case ID we will continue to process the case
If, following receipt of your report you have questions for the medical expert,
as a Fixed Fee Medical and invoice it out at £180+VAT. However, as we haven’t
simply contact UKIM directly as currently.
received a MedCo case ID we will not upload any management information to
the MedCo portal.
It is the responsibility of the instructing party to provide UKIM with the relevant
information and to ensure it remains compliant with the RTA Protocol, CPR
and adheres to the MedCo requirements.
If you fail to recover UKIM’s fees either because UKIM did not appear as a named
MRO on the MedCo search or because you did not undertake a search of MedCo
then you will remain liable to UKIM in respect of such fees.
6.WHAT DO I NEED TO INCLUDE IN MY INSTRUCTION?
When instructing UKIM it is crucial that you provide the MedCo Case ID together
with all the relevant case information that you provide in a typical instruction
to an MRO.
7.WHAT HAPPENS IF AFTER EXAMINATION THE MEDICAL EXPERT STATES IT
IS NOT A SOFT TISSUE INJURY CASE?
The management information still has to be uploaded to the MedCo portal to tie
in with the MedCo ID but UKIM will invoice out at the MROA or standard rate.
9.HOW WILL THE UKIM PROCESS DIFFER FROM THE STANDARD PROCESS?
There will be slight modifications to the instruction process. When instructing
UKIM it is crucial that you provide the ‘MedCo Case ID’ to ensure we identify the
case as a MedCo Portal instruction.
We will then upload certain key data from the report on an anonymised
basis once the report is completed and the unique MedCo Case ID ties to
the search result.
10. WHAT TYPE OF MEDICAL EXPERT CAN BE INSTRUCTED ON MEDCO CASES?
Although a number of different expert types are able to prepare MedCo reports
under the Rules, UKIM will continue to utilise its panel of General Practitioner
experts for all MedCo instructions.
11. WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO ARRANGE A SERIES OF JOINT
APPOINTMENTS?
We understand the intention is that you will be able to use the same MRO if the
claimants are connected through the same accident or are in the same family.
UKIM and MedCo
12. WHAT IF I NEED A SECONDARY REPORT?
15. HOW WILL I PAY UKIM FOR THE MEDCO REPORT?
If a secondary report is justified then you do not need to use MedCo. You
UKIM will continue to invoice you directly for the medical report under existing
can instruct UKIM through the usual methods, but please state that this is a
or newly agreed contractual terms. The financial agreement will continue to be
secondary report and include a copy of the initial report where appropriate. In all
between UKIM and the solicitor and not with MedCo.
circumstances where an additional report is required you can obtain that report
from UKIM, even if you didn’t obtain the initial MedCo report from UKIM.
13. WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM NOT SURE OF THE NATURE OF THE CLAIMANT’S
INJURIES AT THE POINT OF INSTRUCTING?
We would advise that you use the MedCo portal and obtain an initial report. If the
medical expert recommends further reports then you can instruct UKIM directly.
This prevents the risk of you not being able to recover the costs of the medical
report if it transpires the injury is a ‘soft tissue injury’.
14. WHAT HAPPENS IF I INSTRUCT UKIM WHEN IT HAS NOT BEEN SELECTED
16. DO I NEED A NEW CONTRACT?
Yes there will be some slight variations to your contract; your Account Manager
will make contact to discuss your requirements in more detail.
17. CAN I INSTRUCT PREMEX?
UKIM and Premex are separate companies within the ExamWorks family. Both
UKIM and Premex are registered as high volume MROs within the MedCo Portal.
You will receive the same fantastic service from both MROs, please select either
UKIM or Premex when they appear.
THROUGH MEDCO?
18. CAN I STILL USE YOU FOR REHAB?
This is likely to result in unrecoverable fees. If you fail to recover UKIM’s fees
The procurement of rehabilitation and diagnostic services remains unaffected by
either because UKIM did not appear as a named MRO on the MedCo search or
because you did not undertake a search of MedCo, then you will remain liable to
UKIM in respect of such fees.
the implementation of MedCo. A solicitor can continue to instruct their preferred
supplier and there will be no significant changes to the standard process. You
can continue to instruct UKIN for Rehab on MedCo and non-MedCo cases, even
when a recommendation has been made from another MRO.