Medical evidence in asylum claims - Version 1.0 127 Published for Home Office staff on 05 August 2021

Paragraph 187 states that medical reports should indicate the degree of consistency between injuries sustained and the claimant’s account as to how the harm was inflicted: The following discussion is not meant to be an exhaustive discussion of all forms of torture, but it is intended to describe in more detail the medical aspects of many of the more common forms of torture. [...] This will depend on the individual facts of the case and the importance and relevance of the evidence to the assessment of protection needs. [...] Where medical evidence is considered relevant to the outcome of the claim and you are not minded to grant any form of leave, it will be appropriate to delay a decision to allow the claimant a reasonable amount of time to submit medical evidence. [...] Medical evidence submitted during the appeal process Where there is previous evidence that a claimant has notified the Home Office that a medical report is being produced and it has not been considered whether to delay the decision in accordance with this guidance, the case must be referred to the asylum casework team to consider the request. [...] If the Home Office is notified of the intention to provide a medical report for the first time during the appeal process, wherever possible presenting officers must contact the claimant’s legal representatives to confirm whether a medical report is available and request a copy in advance of the appeal hearing to review the additional evidence.