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Statement of Principles

Chronic pancreatitis — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Chronic pancreatitis. DVA can only accept a claim for Chronic pancreatitis if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

Chronic pancreatitis

RH No. 64 of 2020 · BoP No. 65 of 202019 factors

Meaning of chronic pancreatitis: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, chronic pancreatitis means a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas resulting in irreversible morphological change with parenchymal damage and fibrosis of the organ.

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 64 of 2020

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting chronic pancreatitis or death from chronic pancreatitis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

  1. (1)
    having smoked at least 20 pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis, and where smoking has ceased, the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis has occurred within ten years of cessation;

    Note: pack-year of tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  2. (2)
    having consumed a cumulative total of at least 90 kilograms of alcohol within any five year period before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis and where alcohol consumption has ceased, the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis has occurred within ten years of cessation;

    Note: Alcohol consumption is calculated utilising the Australian Standard of ten grams of alcohol per standard alcoholic drink.

  3. (3)
    undergoing a course of therapeutic radiation for cancer, where the pancreas was in the field of radiation, at least one year before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  4. (4)
    having complete or partial obstruction of the ductal system draining the secretions of the exocrine pancreas at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  5. (5)
    having cholelithiasis at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  6. (6)
    having hyperparathyroidism at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  7. (7)
    having hypertriglyceridaemia resulting in triglyceride levels above 11.3 millimoles per litre (or 1,000 milligrams per decilitre) at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  8. (8)
    having an episode of acute pancreatitis before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  9. (9)
    having chronic renal failure before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;

    Note: chronic renal failure is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  10. (10)
    inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for chronic pancreatitis;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(10) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 65 of 2020

9 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, chronic pancreatitis or death from chronic pancreatitis is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

  1. (1)
    having smoked at least 20 pack-years of tobacco products before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis, and where smoking has ceased, the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis has occurred within ten years of cessation;

    Note: pack-year of tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.

  2. (2)
    having consumed a cumulative total of at least 90 kilograms of alcohol within any five year period before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis and where alcohol consumption has ceased, the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis has occurred within five years of cessation;

    Note: Alcohol consumption is calculated utilising the Australian Standard of ten grams of alcohol per standard alcoholic drink.

  3. (3)
    undergoing a course of therapeutic radiation for cancer, where the pancreas was in the field of radiation, at least two years before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  4. (4)
    having complete or partial obstruction of the ductal system draining the secretions of the exocrine pancreas at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  5. (5)
    having cholelithiasis at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  6. (6)
    having hyperparathyroidism at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  7. (7)
    having hypertriglyceridaemia resulting in triglyceride levels above 11.3 millimoles per litre (or 1,000 milligrams per decilitre) at the time of the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  8. (8)
    having an episode of acute pancreatitis before the clinical onset of chronic pancreatitis;
  9. (9)
    inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for chronic pancreatitis;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(9) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

A VHC Diagnostic Assessment addresses each of these factors one by one against your service record and clinical history. See how a VHC DVA claim works, see all fees ($600 + GST per stage) or book an appointment.

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for chronic pancreatitis. It says nothing about how much you are paid. Compensation is worked out separately, from impairment points under the GARP — so a condition can be accepted and still rate few points, or rate more than you expect once it is combined with everything else on your file.

Part of DVA Claims — Stomach, bowel & liver — every Statement of Principles covering the stomach, bowel and liver.

Others in this area:

Dr Thomas Perkins, Veterans Health Centre

Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins

Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →