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<p>Around 55% of all cancelled appointments are customer instigated cancellations.</p><p>
</p><p>On 1 March 2015, a new provider took over the Work Capability Assessment contract
in which the Department had set a far higher target for face-to-face assessments than
that for the previous contract holder. In order to achieve its target the new provider
increased the number of assessments undertaken by 29% over that undertaken in the
previous year. This led to more people being seen more quickly but with a subsequent
rise in the number of cancellations.</p><p> </p><p>Cancelled/Re-arranged Work Capability
Assessments in the last five years are shown in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Number
of Cancelled Appointments</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 May 2011 to 30 Apr 2012</p></td><td><p>377,122</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1
May 2012 to 30 Apr 2013</p></td><td><p>509,653</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 May 2013
to 30 Apr 2014</p></td><td><p>398,133</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 May 2014 to 30 Apr
2015</p></td><td><p>333,990</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 May 2015 to 30 Apr 2016</p></td><td><p>505,950</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>(Source: Centre for Health Disability Assessments)</p><p> </p><p>Information
on the shortest, average and longest period of time before appointments are re-arranged
is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p>
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