Statement of Principles concerning pilonidal sinus No. 176 of 1995 (Cth)

Statement of Principles

concerning

PILONIDAL SINUS

Instrument No. 176 of 1995 as amended

made under section 196B() of the

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

This compilation was prepared on 19 November 2007 taking into account Amendment of Statement of Principles concerning pilonidal sinus (Instrument No. 312 of 1995)

Prepared by the Repatriation Medical Authority Secretariat, Brisbane.

Statement of Principles

concerning

PILONIDAL SINUS

ICD CODE: 685

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(2)

1.         Being of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that pilonidal sinus and death from pilonidal sinus 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 pilonidal sinus or death from pilonidal sinus with the circumstances of that service, are:

(a)        being employed as a hairdresser within the six months immediately before the clinical onset of pilonidal sinus; or

(b)        being occupationally required to milk cows or shear sheep within the six months immediately before the clinical onset of pilonidal sinus; or

(c)        being occupationally required, for a period of at least three months, to regularly drive a vehicle with two or more wheels within the six months immediately before the clinical onset of pilonidal sinus; or

(d)        being occupationally required, for a period of at least three months, to regularly drive a vehicle with two or more wheels within the six months immediately before the clinical worsening of pilonidal sinus; or

(e)        inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for the pilonidal sinus.

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

3.         The factors set out in paragraph 1(d) to 1(e) apply only where:

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

(b)        the relationship suggested between the pilonidal sinus 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;

“pilonidal sinus” (also known as a pilonidal cyst or pilonidal fistula) means a suppurating sinus containing a tuft of hair, occurring chiefly in the coccygeal region but also seen in other regions of the body, attracting ICD code 685.

Notes to Statement of Principles concerning PILONIDAL SINUS (Instrument No. 176 of 1995)

The Statement of Principles concerning pilonidal sinus (Instrument No. 176 of 1995) in force under section 196B() of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Instruments

Title	Date of notification in Gazette or FRLI registration	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Statement of Principles concerning pilonidal sinus (Instrument No. 176 of 1995)	31 May 1995 (see Gazette 1995, No. GN21)	31 May 1995
Amendment of Statement of Principles concerning pilonidal sinus (Instrument No. 312 of 1995)	26 July 1995 (see Gazette 1995, No. GN29)	26 July 1995

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Paragraph 1(a) – ‘being employed as a haridresser…..’	ad. Instrument  No.312 of 1995
Paragraph 1(b) – ‘being occupationally required……. ’	ad. Instrument  No.312 of 1995
Paragraph 1(c) – ‘being occupationally required. ‘	rs. Instrument  No.312 of 1995
Paragraph 1(d) – ‘being occupationally required. ‘	rs. Instrument  No.312 of 1995