Statement of Principles concerning immersion foot No. 168 of 1995 (Cth)

Instrument No.168 of 1995

Statement of Principles

concerning

IMMERSION FOOT

ICD CODE: 991.4

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(2)

1.         Being of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that immersion foot and death from immersion foot can be related to operational service rendered by veterans, peacekeeping service rendered by members of Peacekeeping Forces and hazardous service rendered by members of the Forces, the Repatriation Medical Authority determines, under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act1986 (the Act), that the factors that must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting immersion foot or death from immersion foot with the circumstances of that service, are:

(a)       having exposed a foot to moisture and non-freezing temperatures below 10Celsius, for a period of at least ten hours immediately before the clinical onset of immersion foot; or

(b)       inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for the immersion foot.

2.         Subject to clause 3 (below) at least one of the factors set out in paragraphs 1(a) and 1(b) must be related to any service rendered by a person.

3.         The factor set out in paragraph 1(b) applies only where:

(a)       the person’s immersion foot developed before a period, or part of a period, of service to which the factor is related; and

(b)       the relationship suggested between the immersion foot and the particular service of a person is a relationship set out in paragraph 8(1)(e), 9(1)(e), 70(5)(d) or 70(5A)(d) of the Act.

4.         For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:

“ICD code” means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision, effective date of 1 October 1993, copyrighted by the US Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities, and having the Library of Congress number 77-94472;

“immersion foot” (also known as trench foot) means nerve and muscle damage to the foot due to prolonged exposure of the foot to wet and cold conditions, attracting ICD code 991.4.

Dated this       Twenty-fifth            day of              May          1995

The Common Seal of the    )

Repatriation Medical Authority                   )

was affixed to this instrument   )

in the presence of:   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRMAN