Appealing an
SMP Decision
If you disagree with the selected medical practitioner on permanence, causation, your tier or your injury award band, the main route is a medical appeal board, and the clock starts the day you receive the report. Here are all the routes, every deadline in the regulations, the risks, the costs and what we could not confirm.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 7 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Give written notice of appeal to the police pension authority within 28 days of receiving the SMP's report (or longer if it allows), then your grounds within a further 28 days. A board of at least three doctors, one a relevant specialist, rehears the medical questions. Non-medical refusals go to the Crown Court; legal errors to judicial review. Reconsideration needs both sides' agreement.
Enter the date you received the SMP report into the appeal deadline calculator to see the 28-day notice deadline and the grounds deadline, with a calendar file you can save.
Before deciding whether to appeal a band, put your figures into the injury award calculator to see the difference in gratuity and yearly injury pension between the band you were given and the band you think is right. It does not predict an appeal. For a dispute about your ill-health tier, the ill-health retirement calculator shows the lower and upper tier pensions side by side.
If you are thinking of appealing, contact your Federation rep as soon as you receive the SMP report: the 28 days run from that day.
If you are a Police Federation member, start with your branch. The Police Federation of England and Wales says it assists members through the ill-health retirement process, has branch representatives trained in it, and represents members at Police Medical Appeal Boards. It also says this advice can be given at no cost to members, so ask what your branch offers before paying for advice. Funding for a solicitor is by application and decided case by case. Find your local Federation branch.
Other organisations that help officers in this position:
- Injury On Duty Pensioners Association (IODPA): a registered charity offering support and signposting (not legal advice) on ill-health retirement, injury pension claims and reviews.
- Police Care UK: a charity offering emotional, practical and financial support to serving and former officers, staff, volunteers and their families.
- NARPO (National Association of Retired Police Officers): for retired officers, with guidance on injury pensions and reviews. It tells members facing a review to approach their local Federation first.
Checked on each organisation's own website on 7 October 2026. PolicePay is independent and has no link with any of them; we list them because they help officers in this situation.
Which route for which disagreement
The route depends on what you disagree with. Medical answers can only be changed by the medical route (appeal or reconsideration). Courts are bound by final medical decisions (regulation 36(2)).
| You disagree with | Route | Time limit | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| The SMP's answer to a medical question: disabled, permanent, unfit for regular employment, caused by a duty injury, degree of disablement | Appeal to a board of medical referees (often called the Police Medical Appeal Board, PMAB) | Notice within 28 days of receiving the SMP report (or longer if the authority allows); grounds within a further 28 days | PIBR reg 31, Sch 6; PPR 2015 Sch 1 paras 2, 6 to 11 |
| A final medical decision you and the authority agree should be looked at again | Reconsideration by the same SMP or board, by agreement | No time limit in the regulations; needs the authority's agreement | PIBR reg 32(2); PPR 2015 Sch 1 para 3 |
| The authority's refusal to admit a claim, or to pay a larger award, on non-medical grounds; a decision that refusing treatment was unreasonable; a forfeiture | Appeal to the Crown Court | Not stated in the regulations; court rules may set a limit as short as 21 days, so take advice at once | PIBR regs 34, 36; PPR 2015 regs 75(4), 207 |
| A decision by the SMP, board or authority that is wrong in law, unfair or irrational | Judicial review in the High Court | Promptly and in any event within 3 months of the decision (Civil Procedure Rules 54.5); a solicitor should confirm the date | General public law; see Laws, Goodland |
The injury award (Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006) and 2015 scheme ill-health retirement (Schedule 1 to the Police Pensions Regulations 2015) have almost identical appeal rules. The 1987 and 2006 schemes have their own provisions for ill-health decisions; the archived Home Office guidance treated 1987 scheme appeals under Part H in the same way.
Every deadline in the regulations
| Step | When | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| You receive the SMP report | Day 0 | The clock starts when you receive it, not when it is dated | PIBR reg 31(1); PPR Sch 1 para 2(1) |
| Notice of appeal | Within 28 days of receiving the report, or longer if the authority allows | In writing to the police pension authority | PIBR reg 31(1), Sch 6 para 1; PPR Sch 1 para 7(1) |
| Statement of grounds | Within a further 28 days of the authority receiving your notice, or longer if allowed | In writing | PIBR reg 31(2); PPR Sch 1 para 2(3) |
| Authority refers the appeal | After grounds are received, unless both sides agree to reconsideration first | Notifies the Secretary of State and refers to the board | PIBR reg 31(2), Sch 6 para 2; PPR Sch 1 para 2(4) |
| Notice of the hearing | At least 2 months before it, or shorter if both sides agree | Board sets time and place | PIBR Sch 6 para 3(2); PPR Sch 1 para 8(2) |
| Say whether you will be represented | At least 35 days before the hearing | Both sides | PIBR Sch 6 para 3(3); PPR Sch 1 para 8(3) |
| Written evidence and statements | At least 35 days before the hearing, to the board and the other side | Late evidence can lead to postponement | PIBR Sch 6 para 4(1); PPR Sch 1 para 9(1) |
| Written response to the other side's evidence | At least 7 days before the hearing | Both sides | PIBR Sch 6 para 4(2); PPR Sch 1 para 9(2) |
| Decision | A written statement of the decision, and a revised report if the board disagrees with the SMP | Copies to you, the authority and the Secretary of State | PIBR reg 31(3), Sch 6 para 6; PPR Sch 1 paras 2(5), 8(8)-(10) |
The 28 days run from when you receive the report. If you are waiting for evidence or advice, give notice of appeal inside 28 days anyway; the grounds can follow within the next 28 days. If you need longer, ask the authority in writing, before the deadline, to allow a longer period: both sets of regulations let it do so. The appeal deadline calculator works out both dates from the day you received the report.
The notice of appeal and the grounds
Both must be in writing (Schedule 6 paragraph 1; Schedule 1 paragraph 7(1)). The regulations prescribe no form. Archived Home Office guidance described standard appeal forms (A to E) and said the authority should send the appellant a form for the grounds and check whether an internal review (reconsideration) might resolve the matter. Forces may still use similar forms.
Good grounds usually:
- name each question you disagree with (for example "the degree of disablement" or "whether the disablement is the result of an injury received in the execution of duty");
- say why, pointing to the evidence: treating specialists' reports, records of the incident, your work history and restrictions;
- for banding, address the earnings assessment: the jobs, their demands, the hours you can manage and the pay (see the earnings assessment guide);
- list any new evidence the SMP did not see.
The Surrey and Sussex policy says it may offer an internal review once grounds are received and, if that fails, will notify the Home Office and the board within 14 days. That is one force's practice, not a regulation.
Who sits on the board
- At least three medical practitioners, appointed in accordance with arrangements approved by the Secretary of State (Schedule 6 paragraph 3; under the 2015 scheme, appointed by the police pension authority under such arrangements, Schedule 1 paragraph 6).
- At least one must be a specialist in a medical condition relevant to the appeal.
- One is chair, with a casting vote if the votes are equal.
- Their fees are paid by the authority.
Archived guidance asked appellants to name any specialist who had treated them so that person was not appointed to the board, and named Health Management Ltd as the provider arranging hearings at the time. Appeals are now reported to be administered by Duradiamond Healthcare (a secondary source we could not confirm on an official page).
Evidence: what to send and when
Written evidence or statements must reach the board and the other side at least 35 days before the hearing; replies at least 7 days before. The board can postpone or adjourn if evidence breaks those rules, or if it is necessary for the proper determination of the appeal (Schedule 6 paragraph 4; Schedule 1 paragraph 9). Weekends and public holidays count.
- The SMP report and everything the SMP saw. Ask the authority for the full referral file.
- Up-to-date reports from treating specialists on diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and functional limits.
- Records of the incident or exposure: injury reports, duty records, notebook entries, witness details.
- For banding: the earnings assessment, your comments, evidence of any job and pay since leaving, qualifications.
- If you commission an independent medical report, check who pays and that it addresses the exact questions.
Consent to release medical records matters. Archived guidance warned that withholding consent would put the board at a disadvantage in reaching a fully informed decision. The regulations themselves treat an appeal as withdrawn only if you wilfully or negligently fail to attend an examination or interview the board considers necessary (regulation 33; 2015 regulation 77(2)), and say nothing specific about consent to records. Ask what is needed and why, and take advice before refusing.
At the hearing
- Notice. At least two months, unless both sides agree to less.
- Representation. Both sides say at least 35 days before whether they will be represented. Your Federation, staff association or a solicitor can represent you.
- Examination. The board may interview or examine you. A doctor you appoint, and the SMP or a doctor for the authority, may attend and observe. Only doctors may be present during an examination.
- Now, not then. Archived guidance, citing McGinley (2005), said the board decides permanence and degree of disablement as at the date of its decision. Evidence of your current condition and earnings matters.
- Decision. The board sends a written statement of its decision and, where it disagrees with the SMP, a revised report.
The risk of appealing
Regulation 31(3) says the board's report covers "any of the questions referred to the selected medical practitioner on which it disagrees". Archived guidance confirmed the board can disagree with the SMP on any referred question, not only the one appealed, but said fairness may require giving both sides a chance to comment first. In practice, an appeal against a band can in principle lead to a lower band. Weigh that with your representative, especially if the SMP's findings on permanence or causation were in your favour.
The other risks are cost (below) and time: notice periods alone add at least two months after the board fixes a hearing date.
Costs
| Situation | Injury award (PIBR Sch 6 para 8) | 2015 scheme (PPR Sch 1 paras 10, 11) |
|---|---|---|
| General rule | Each side bears its own expenses; the authority pays the board's fees | The same |
| You win | Authority refunds your reasonable expenses of attending | The same |
| You lose and the board reports the appeal was frivolous or vexatious | Authority may require a contribution up to the board's fees, unless the board finds exceptional reasons not to | The same |
| Hearing cancelled, adjourned or postponed late by the authority | Less than 22 days before the hearing (including weekends and public holidays): the board requires the authority to pay your reasonable expenses | Less than 22 days before the hearing (including weekends and public holidays): the same |
| Hearing cancelled, adjourned or postponed late by you | Less than 22 days before the hearing: the authority may require you to contribute towards the cost, unless the board decides it was not your fault | Less than 22 days before the hearing: you may be required to contribute, after both sides have had a chance to comment |
The injury award rule used to say "less than 11 days (excluding weekends and public holidays)". Since 1 April 2010 it has said less than 22 days, including weekends and public holidays (SI 2010/431), the same as the 2015 scheme. If you need to ask for a postponement, ask as early as you can.
Legal representation is not covered by these rules. Ask your Federation or staff association what legal support it offers, and check any legal expenses insurance you hold.
Reconsideration by agreement
Regulation 32(2) (and Schedule 1 paragraph 3 for the 2015 scheme) lets you and the authority agree to send a final decision of the SMP or board back for reconsideration. The medical authority must reconsider and, if necessary, issue a fresh report. If the original doctor is unable or unwilling to act, the parties can agree another doctor or board (regulation 32(3)).
- It needs the authority's agreement. If the authority refuses, ask for its reasons in writing and take advice on whether the refusal can be challenged.
- Landmark Chambers report that in Boskovic [2019] EWCA Civ 676 the Court of Appeal treated "any final decision" as including the evidence on which it was based, and described the process as consensual.
- It can run alongside an appeal: under regulation 32(2), an appeal you have already given notice of can still go ahead if you ask for it to be notified to the Secretary of State.
Reconsideration can be the practical route when new evidence appears after the 28 days have passed.
The Crown Court and judicial review
Crown Court. Regulation 34 lets you appeal to the Crown Court if you are aggrieved by the authority's refusal to admit a claim to an award "as of right", or a larger award than granted, by its decision on whether refusing medical treatment is reasonable, or by a forfeiture. The court "may make such order in the matter as appears to it to be just" but is bound by final medical decisions (regulation 36), though it can send a medical decision back if the evidence was inaccurate or inadequate (regulation 32(1)). No appeal lies against a power expressly declared to be discretionary (regulation 36(1)).
In Kelly (2021) the Court of Appeal held the Crown Court could decide that an injury pension was payable from the officer's retirement in 2005 rather than from his claim in 2016, and could award interest on the arrears.
The regulations set no time limit for a Crown Court appeal. Court rules may set one, possibly as short as 21 days, and we could not confirm which applies, so get advice as soon as the authority's decision arrives.
Judicial review. For decisions wrong in law, procedurally unfair or irrational. In Laws the Court of Appeal described judicial review of a board's medical judgment as possible but rare, for example where a decisive aspect of the evidence was misunderstood or there was a material legal error. In Goodland the High Court noted there is no appeal against a determination the authority makes itself under regulation 33, so judicial review is the route. A claim must be brought promptly and in any event within 3 months of the grounds arising (Civil Procedure Rules 54.5), and acting late within the 3 months can still be too late. Ask a solicitor to confirm the date that applies to you.
Appeals against review decisions
The same appeal route applies when an award or pension is reviewed:
- Injury pension reviews (regulation 37). The degree of disablement is referred to the SMP under regulation 30(2), so the SMP's report on review can be appealed to the board within 28 days under regulation 31. The board applies the same test: has the degree of disablement substantially altered since the last decision (Laws)?
- 2015 ill-health pension reviews (regulations 110 to 117). Reports under regulation 117 are "medical decisions" in Schedule 1, so they can be appealed in the same way. If the appeal board reverses the SMP, the scheme manager's decision is void (regulation 119).
- If the authority decided without the SMP because you did not attend or co-operate (regulation 33), there is no appeal to the board against that determination; the High Court in Goodland noted judicial review is the route.
See injury award reviews for the review test in detail.
Planning your grounds: matching the evidence to the question
| Question you dispute | What the board has to decide | Evidence that usually matters |
|---|---|---|
| Not disabled, or not permanent | Whether you are unable to do the ordinary duties of a police officer, and whether that is likely to last (to normal pension age in the 2015 scheme), assuming normal appropriate treatment | Treating specialists on prognosis and treatment tried; occupational health history; failed returns to work |
| Not unfit for any regular employment (upper tier) | Whether you can engage in regular employment, likely permanently | Functional evidence: hours, concentration, reliability, symptoms over time |
| Not caused by a duty injury | Whether an injury received in the execution of duty caused or substantially contributed to the disablement | Incident records, duty logs, contemporaneous medical notes, clinicians on causation |
| Degree of disablement too low | How far the duty injury has affected your earning capacity, at the date of the board's decision | Earnings assessment and your comments, comparator job details, evidence of hours and restrictions, current job and pay |
| Apportionment to other conditions | How much of the loss is caused by the duty injury rather than other causes | Clinicians on the separate effects of each condition |
Keep the grounds focused on these questions. The board decides medical questions; arguments about how the force treated you, however strongly felt, belong elsewhere unless they go to the evidence. The earnings assessment guide has a checklist for the comparator jobs.
After the board decides
- Final. The board's decision is final, subject to reconsideration (regulation 31(3)).
- Ill-health retirement reversed. If you were retired and the board finds you were not permanently unfit for police duties, the retirement is void (2015 regulation 84).
- Band changed. The authority recalculates the injury pension and gratuity. Ask from what date the new band applies and how arrears are calculated.
- Later reviews. The board's report becomes the baseline for any regulation 37 review (Laws). Keep it safe.
See injury award reviews and how long it takes.
If you served in Scotland or Northern Ireland
Everything above is about England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own injury benefit regulations with the same Schedule 3 table and duty test, but different decision-makers and appeal routes.
- Scotland. The Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/68). Medical appeals go to a board of medical referees appointed by the Scottish Ministers, with the same 28 days for notice and a further 28 days for grounds. Non-medical appeals go to the sheriff rather than the Crown Court (regulation 34).
- Northern Ireland. The PSNI and PSNI Reserve (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 (SR 2006/268). The Northern Ireland Policing Board decides. Medical appeals, within 28 days plus 28 days for grounds, go to an Independent Medical Referee rather than a board. From 2 July 2024 the SMP and the referee must have regard to the Board's guidance to medical practitioners on injury on duty awards, and must hold at least the Associate of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine qualification (SR 2024/147).
Ask the Scottish Police Federation or the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, or a solicitor in that jurisdiction, about the details.
What people get wrong
- "I have 28 days from the date on the letter." From when you receive the report.
- "I need my full case ready in 28 days." Only the notice; the grounds have a further 28 days, and both can be extended by the authority.
- "The board only looks at what I appealed." It can disagree with any referred question.
- "I can take the medical decision to court." Courts are bound by final medical decisions; the medical route is the board.
- "An appeal costs thousands in fees." The authority pays the board's fees. You risk a contribution if the board reports the appeal was frivolous or vexatious, or if the hearing is cancelled or postponed less than 22 days before the date because of you.
- "Missing the hearing just delays it." Wilful or negligent non-attendance means the appeal is treated as withdrawn.
What we could not verify
- Current national guidance and provider. The Home Office guidance was withdrawn on 1 September 2022 and we found no replacement on 7 October 2026. The current provider (reported to be Duradiamond Healthcare) comes from a secondary source.
- Crown Court time limit. The regulations do not state one and we could not confirm the court rule that applies; it may be as short as 21 days.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland. We summarise the main differences only; check the detail with your staff association or a solicitor there.
- Success rates and waiting times for boards. We found no published national figures.
- Cases cited from a secondary source. Boskovic is described from Landmark Chambers' guide; McGinley from the archived Home Office guidance. We read Laws, Kelly and Goodland in full.
- 1987 and 2006 scheme appeal details. We set out the injury and 2015 scheme rules; check your own scheme's provisions with your representative.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to appeal an SMP decision?
Give written notice of appeal to the police pension authority within 28 days of receiving the SMP's report, or any longer period the authority allows. You then have a further 28 days (or longer if allowed) to send a written statement of your grounds. The same timetable applies to injury awards (regulation 31) and 2015 scheme ill-health retirement (Schedule 1 paragraph 2).
What is the Police Medical Appeal Board?
The regulations call it a board of medical referees (injury awards) or an appeal board (2015 scheme). It has at least three doctors appointed under arrangements approved by the Secretary of State, one a specialist in a condition relevant to the appeal, with a chair who has a casting vote. It decides the medical questions afresh.
Can I appeal my injury award band?
Yes. 'Band' is shorthand for the degree of disablement, a medical question decided by the SMP under regulation 30(2)(d), so it is appealed to the board within 28 days (or longer if the authority allows). The board can disagree with any part of the SMP's report and issue a revised report.
Can the appeal board make my position worse?
It can. Regulation 31(3) lets the board report on any of the questions referred to the SMP on which it disagrees, not only the one you appealed. Archived Home Office guidance said the board can disagree on any referred question and should act fairly, for example by inviting both sides to comment. Take advice before appealing.
Do I have to pay for a PMAB appeal?
Each side normally pays its own expenses and the authority pays the board's fees. If you win, the authority refunds your reasonable expenses of attending. If you lose and the board reports the appeal was frivolous or vexatious, the authority may ask you to contribute up to the board's fees, unless the board finds exceptional reasons not to. You can also be asked to contribute to the costs if the hearing is cancelled or postponed less than 22 days before the date because of you, unless the board decides it was not your fault (Schedule 6 paragraph 8; Schedule 1 paragraph 10 for the 2015 scheme).
Can I bring my own doctor to the appeal?
Yes. A doctor you appoint may attend the hearing, and so may the SMP (or a doctor the authority appoints). They can only observe any examination, and only medical practitioners may be present for that part (Schedule 6 paragraph 5; Schedule 1 paragraph 8).
What happens if I miss the appeal hearing or examination?
If you wilfully or negligently fail to attend an examination or interview the board considers necessary, the appeal is treated as withdrawn (regulation 33(b) PIBR; regulation 77(2) PPR 2015). Tell the board in writing straight away if you cannot attend.
What is reconsideration under regulation 32?
You and the authority can agree to send a final decision of the SMP or board back for reconsideration, for example because of new evidence (regulation 32(2); Schedule 1 paragraph 3). It needs the authority's agreement; the Court of Appeal in Boskovic described it as consensual.
Can I appeal to the Crown Court?
For non-medical refusals: if the authority refuses to admit a claim to an award or a larger award, decides a refusal of treatment was unreasonable, or forfeits an award (regulation 34). The court is bound by final medical decisions, though it can send one back if the evidence was inaccurate or inadequate (regulations 32(1), 36). In Kelly (2021) the Court of Appeal confirmed it can order back-payments and interest. The regulations set no time limit, but court rules may set one as short as 21 days, so take advice straight away.
Is there current Home Office guidance on medical appeals?
Not that we could find when we checked on 7 October 2026. GOV.UK says the Police Medical Appeal Board guidance was withdrawn on 1 September 2022: 'This guidance is out of date and has been archived.' The same notice says new guidance will be published in due course and refers enquiries to the Home Office or the National Police Chiefs' Council.
Does the board look at my condition now or when the SMP saw me?
Archived Home Office guidance, citing McGinley (2005), said the board assesses permanence and the degree of disablement at the date of its own decision, not the SMP's. Bring evidence of how you are now.
What if my ill-health retirement appeal succeeds?
Under the 2015 regulations, a compulsory retirement is void if the board decides you were not permanently unfit for police duties (regulation 84), and a scheme manager's decision on an ill-health pension review is void if the board reverses the SMP (regulation 119).
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 7 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, regulations 30 to 36 (legislation.gov.uk, as made) — 28-day appeal and grounds (31), board decision final and limited to points of disagreement (31(3)), reconsideration (32), non-attendance (33), Crown Court (34, 36) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, Schedule 6 (medical appeals) — board composition, two months' notice, 35-day and 7-day evidence rules, who may attend, costs. The as-made text says 'less than 11 days (excluding weekends and public holidays)' for late cancellations; that was replaced by SI 2010/431 (next source) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/431), Schedule 4 paragraph 2 — late cancellation or postponement: 'less than 22 days (including weekends and public holidays) before the date appointed for the hearing'. Read 7 October 2026 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, Schedule 1 (revised, legislation.gov.uk) — the same structure for ill-health decisions; cancellation costs within 22 days (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, regulations 75, 77, 84 and 119 — appeal on refusal of treatment; non-attendance; retirement or review decision void if the appeal succeeds (accessed 7 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Police Medical Appeal Board guidance (withdrawn 1 September 2022) — withdrawal notice: 'This guidance is out of date and has been archived. New guidance will be published in due course.' Re-read 7 October 2026 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Home Office: Guidance on medical appeals, section 6 (archived 2022) — past practice on grounds, internal review, documents and consent. Withdrawn (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Home Office: Guidance on medical appeals, section 9 (archived 2022) — board may disagree on any referred question; decision at the date of the appeal (McGinley); report timing. Withdrawn (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Metropolitan Police Authority v Laws [2010] EWCA Civ 1099 — board decisions final; the residual role of judicial review (accessed 7 October 2026)
- R (Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police) v Kelly [2021] EWCA Civ 1699 — Crown Court jurisdiction over the amount and period of an award; power to award interest (accessed 7 October 2026)
- R (Goodland) v Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police [2020] EWHC 2477 (Admin) — no appeal from a regulation 33 determination; judicial review instead (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Landmark Chambers, Police Injury Pensions, chapter 4 (2020) — Boskovic [2019] EWCA Civ 676 on reconsideration. Secondary source (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Civil Procedure Rules, rule 54.5 (judicial review time limit) — claim form filed promptly and in any event not later than 3 months after the grounds arose (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/68) — same Schedule 3 table; board of medical referees; non-medical appeals to the sheriff (reg 34) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Service of Northern Ireland and Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 (SR 2006/268) and SR 2024/147 — Northern Ireland Policing Board decides; appeal to an Independent Medical Referee; from 2 July 2024 SMPs and referees must have regard to the Board's guidance (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Surrey Police and Sussex Police: Medical Retirement Policy 542/2025 — one force pair's practice: internal review offered, appeal notified within 14 days of the statement (accessed 7 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice, and the outcome of any injury award or ill-health retirement decision turns on the medical evidence and the facts of the individual case. Decisions are made by the police pension authority, selected medical practitioners and appeal boards, and the regulations are amended from time to time. Speak to your Police Federation representative or a solicitor about your own case, and your pension administrator about your figures. If you are struggling, speak to your GP or one of the services listed on our support directory; if you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 7 October 2026.