Overview
How this affects your claim in practice
There is no single statutory deadline that guarantees an IME report will be delivered to the worker within a fixed number of days. Track the examination date, ask when the insurer received the report and request a copy. What happens next depends on whether the insurer uses it for liability, treatment, capacity, weekly payments or permanent impairment; each later decision has its own notice and review rules.
- Ten working days ordinarily means notice before the IME, not a universal deadline after it.
- Do not confuse an independent medical examiner with an injury management consultant.
- The appointment notice should explain how to request the IME report and supplied documents.
- An insurer may seek clarification or other evidence before making a decision.
- Any review or payment-change timing comes from the actual decision and legislation, not the IME date alone.
- Follow up in writing if the report or decision appears delayed.
Practical review
What to check in this situation
- Separate report preparation time from the insurer's deadline for the decision that relies on it.
- Compare the report assumptions and findings with treating evidence and the accepted injury.
- Do not respond only to the percentage or conclusion; identify the factual and medical reasoning.
Records that may help
Keep the IME notice, attendance date, requests for the report, insurer receipt date, treating response and any decision notice.
Next procedural step
If delay affects treatment or payments, identify that overdue decision separately and consider an IRO complaint or PIC advice.
Why there is no single “IME result” deadline
Part 7 of the current SIRA Guidelines regulates the referral, notice, appointment and repeat-examination process. It requires at least 10 working days written notice before an IME in ordinary circumstances. It does not state a universal number of days in which every independent medical examiner must deliver a report after every appointment.
A different part of the Guidelines says an injury management consultant should provide an IMC report to the referrer within 10 working days of the appointment or file review, unless another timeframe is agreed. An IMC assists with injury management and return-to-work issues; it is not the same role as an insurer’s independent medical examiner. Applying the IMC timeframe to every IME would be inaccurate.
The usual sequence after an IME
The steps vary with the medical question and claim stage
| Stage | What may happen | What the worker can do |
|---|---|---|
| Report preparation | The examiner reviews the examination and supplied records and sends the report to the referrer. | Keep your appointment note and request the report and referral documents. |
| Insurer review | The insurer compares the report with treating evidence and may seek clarification or more information. | Ask which issue is being decided and whether anything further is required. |
| Decision or claim-management step | The insurer may make no change, seek more evidence, approve or refuse treatment, issue a liability notice, or make a work capacity decision. | Read the written reasons, evidence, effective date and review information. |
| Response or dispute | The available process depends on the decision type. | Obtain advice and answer the actual reasons rather than the IME in the abstract. |
How to request the report
The IME appointment notice should advise that the worker can request a copy of the report and the documents supplied to the examiner. It should also advise that the nominated treating doctor will be provided with the report. Where a report is relevant to a decision disputing liability or reducing compensation, the legislation gives the worker or nominee a right to a copy, subject to the applicable provisions.
Send a short written request identifying the appointment date, examiner and claim number. Ask whether the report has been received, request the report and referral material, and ask what decision—if any—is proposed. Keep the response with the claim records.
What to do if nothing arrives
- Ask the insurer in writing whether the report has been received and when it was requested from the examiner.
- Ask what claim issue is pending and whether weekly payments, treatment or duties will change in the meantime.
- Continue supplying current certificates of capacity and treating evidence required for the claim.
- If urgent treatment is waiting, ask for a decision on the treatment request and the reasons for any delay.
- If a formal notice has already issued, do not assume follow-up correspondence pauses its operation.
- Consider legal advice if the delay affects payments, treatment, return to work or a permanent impairment claim.
Different decisions use different procedures
An IME may inform a liability decision, a treatment decision, a work capacity decision or a permanent impairment position. Those are not interchangeable. Their notice requirements, effective dates and review or PIC pathways differ.
For that reason, counting days from the examination alone can give a false answer. Identify the written decision, the statutory basis stated in it and the practical effect on compensation. Then obtain advice about the relevant response rather than relying on a generic online timeline.
When the report arrives
- Check the accepted injury, medical history, treatment, medications and actual duties.
- Check whether the examiner answered the question asked and considered the key records.
- Separate factual mistakes from genuine differences in clinical opinion.
- Ask a treating practitioner to address the precise medical issue if a response is needed.
- Read any insurer notice separately; the report and the decision serve different functions.
Official sources
Sources are listed for transparency. This guide is general information only and is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Must an IME report arrive within 10 working days?
The current Part 7 IME rules do not set that universal post-examination deadline. Ten working days is ordinarily the notice period before an IME. The Guidelines contain a separate 10-working-day report rule for an injury management consultant.
Can I ask the insurer for the IME report?
Yes. The appointment notice should state that you can request the report and the documents supplied to the examiner.
Will the insurer make a decision as soon as the report arrives?
Not necessarily. It may compare other evidence, seek clarification or decide that no change is required. If a formal decision is made, it should be communicated through the applicable notice process.
Does the IME date start a PIC deadline?
Not by itself. Any relevant procedural timing depends on the decision or dispute and the applicable legislation or PIC process.
Should I stop sending certificates while waiting?
No. Continue meeting the ordinary claim requirements, including current certificates where required, unless advised otherwise.
What if the report is wrong?
Request the full material, identify the exact factual or medical issue, obtain focused evidence and respond to any insurer decision. A general accusation of unfairness is usually less useful than a documented correction.
Need help applying this to a live claim?
If an insurer has issued a notice, scheduled an assessment, reduced payments or refused treatment, consider obtaining advice about the documents and any applicable review steps.