Petition · past parliament
Redeploy benefits test practitioners to the NHS to help deal with coronavirus
Rejected
19 signatures
What the petition asks
The private sector providers of face to face benefits assessments employ tens of thousands of qualified medical practitioners. We ask that the government redeploys these professionals to the NHS to help deal with the coronavirus emergency
The government has stated that face to face assessments are to be suspended and that telephone or paper assessments may be carried out. We ask instead that new claims normally requiring a test be 'waved through' without one, that reassessment of ongoing claims be stopped entirely and that medically qualified staff normally engaged in this work be redeployed from the private sector providers to the NHS to assist with the coronavirus emergency
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
The duties of privately employed individuals are a matter for their employer, not the Government or Parliament.
The NHS has launched a call for clinicians to join the NHS to help them fight the coronavirus outbreak: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/returning-clinicians/
The Government has announced that face-to-face health assessments for benefits suspended amid coronavirus outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-to-face-health-assessments-for-benefits-suspended-amid-coronavirus-outbreak
You could start a new petition calling on the Government to increase NHS capacity for fighting the coroanvirus outbreak, including by working with companies it currently contracts with for the provision of medical services.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
The NHS has launched a call for clinicians to join the NHS to help them fight the coronavirus outbreak: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/returning-clinicians/
The Government has announced that face-to-face health assessments for benefits suspended amid coronavirus outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-to-face-health-assessments-for-benefits-suspended-amid-coronavirus-outbreak
You could start a new petition calling on the Government to increase NHS capacity for fighting the coroanvirus outbreak, including by working with companies it currently contracts with for the provision of medical services.
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
Timeline
| 16 Mar 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 Apr 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
19
Status
Rejected
Rejected
2 Apr 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.