Blue Badge
Details on this CSED solution have been updated in the light of the Department for Transport’s Blue Badge reform strategy published on 20 October 2008.
CSED’s original advice on this efficiency solution recommended:
- The assessment process should be centralised and managed through a contact centre where appropriate
- The £2.00 charge should be dropped in view of the cost of collection
- Occupational Therapists should be used to assess applications rather than GPs.
- Councils should measure the results of taking the above steps.
Department for Transport’s Blue Badge reform strategy
The Government has now undertaken a review of the scheme which incorporated advice from CSED. The Blue Badge reform strategy was published on 20 October 2008 - see http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/bluebadge/bluebadgereform/
The key recommendations outlined in the strategy are:
- Assessments should be independent of the applicant’s GP and can be undertaken by someone other than a qualified medical practitioner.
- Local authorities will be able to charge an application fee that more appropriately covers their costs.
- The scheme will be extended to other groups including people with shorter term mobility problems.
- There will be measures to strengthen enforcement and abuse of the scheme.
- The implementation will take place over five years.
CSED recommendations
In the light of the Government’s strategy, we suggest the following approach for those councils seeking to maximise efficiency gains:
- Put in place an assessment scheme that does not involve the patient’s GP (covered in section 4.2-4.3 of the reform strategy).
- Undertake an analysis of existing costs based, a) the cost of administration and b) the cost of assessment. The reform strategy indicates that current combined costs are between £28.51 and £40.33 per application.
- The time scale for implementing legislation to allow a change in the £2.00 application fee has yet to be specified. It may therefore be advisable to retain the charge for the time being.