Early identification of matters can impact hearing

Tribunal referrals are reviewed by tribunal coordinators prior to injured workers being booked for an appointment. It's the tribunal coordinator's responsibility to ensure:

• referrals are in accordance with the legislation
• the terms of reference are correct
• the referral complies with guidelines provided by tribunal chairpersons.

This ensures important information is included in the referral such as recent reports from a relevant specialists and details of previous similar injuries.

Tribunal coordinators will scan referrals for any potential security concerns or workers with special needs such as mobility impairment or visual impairment and make appropriate arrangements.

Referrals will also be checked for any known association with panel members to ensure there are no potential conflicts of interest, real or perceived.

Prior association with a tribunal member may not be apparent from the available documents so if a member becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest they should advise the Tribunal Coordinator as soon as possible. If sufficient notice is given, alternative arrangements can be made and additional costs to the insurer and worker will be avoided.

Tribunal coordinators aren't qualified to assess whether a particular report contains sufficient information for the tribunal or whether additional testing is required so you may be required to request further information from the insurer.

You can provide constructive feedback to insurers about the standard of reports and case management of complex cases. Feedback forms are available in tribunal rooms or ask a Tribunal Coordinator.