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2002 No. 554

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, ENGLAND

The National Health Service (General Medical Services) Amendment Regulations 2002

  Made 8th March 2002 
  Laid before Parliament 11th March 2002 
  Coming into force 1st April 2002 

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 29, 29A, 29B, 43ZA, 49O, 49Q, 49R and 126(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977[1] and section 65 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001[2] and all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement, extent and interpretation
     1.  - (1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Amendment Regulations 2002 and shall come into force on 1st April 2002.

    (2) These Regulations extend to England only.

    (3) In these Regulations "the principal Regulations" means the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992[
3].

    (4) The principal Regulations shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of these Regulations.

Amendment of regulation 2
     2. In regulation 2(1) (interpretation), omit the definition of "Medical Practices Committee".

Amendment of Part II of the principal Regulations
    
3. In regulation 4 (medical list), in paragraphs (3) and (5)(f) for "by the Medical Practices Committee" in each place those words occur substitute "by the Health Authority".

    
4.  - (1) Regulation 5A (preferential right to be included in medical list) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph (2)(a) for "the Medical Practices Committee" substitute "the Health Authority".

    (3) In paragraph (2)(b) for "under section 33(4)(b) of the Act" substitute "under regulation 13(1)(c)".

    (4) Omit paragraph (4).

    
5. In regulation 6 (amendment of or withdrawal from the medical list), in paragraph (5) from "Where a Health Authority" to "and the Medical Practices Committee grants such variation," substitute "Where the Health Authority grants an application for the variation of a condition imposed pursuant to regulation 13(1)(b),".

Amendment of Part III of the principal Regulations
    
6. Omit regulations 10 (Medical Practices Committee - appointment of members and tenure of office) and 11 (references and reports to the Medical Practices Committee by a Health Authority).

    
7. For regulation 12 (decisions of the Medical Practices Committee) substitute - 

     8.  - (1) Regulation 13 (declaration of vacancies) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph (1) for "If the Medical Practices Committee" to "in a locality" substitute "If a Health Authority decides that the number of doctors undertaking to provide general medical services in the area".

    (3) For paragraph (1)(c) substitute - 

    (4) In paragraph (2)(e)(ii) from "as shall have been specified in" to the end, substitute "as the Health Authority may specify.".

    (5) Omit paragraphs (3) and (4).

    (6) After paragraph (4) add - 

     9. Omit regulation 14 (report by Health Authority to Medical Practices Committee).

    
10.  - (1) For regulation 15 (variation and revocation of decisions of the Medical Practices Committee) substitute - 

     11. For regulation 16 (effect of variation or revocation) substitute - 

     12.  - (1) Regulation 17 (decision by Health Authority as to type of vacancy) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) For paragraph (1) substitute - 

    (3) In paragraphs (2) and (3) for "If the Health Authority made a reference pursuant to regulation 11(1)" in each place where those words occur substitute "Where the Health Authority considered in accordance with regulation 12(2)(a) whether to declare a vacancy".

    (4) For paragraph (5) substitute - 

     13. In regulation 18 (consultation with Local Medical Committee) - 

     14. In regulation 18A(4) (particular partnership vacancies), after "agreed" add "(after consultation with any other Health Authority in whose area prospective patients reside).".

    
15.  - (1) Regulation 18B (general partnership vacancies) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph (2) for "in the locality" in each place where those words occur substitute "in the area";

    (3) After paragraph (2) insert - 

    (4) In paragraph (7), after "agreed between the Health Authority" insert "(after consultation with any other Health Authority in whose area prospective patients reside)".

    
16.  - (1) Regulation 18C (vacancies for sole practitioners) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph (6) omit "to the Secretary of State".

    (3) In paragraph (7) - 

    (4) For paragraph (8) substitute - 

     17.  - (1) Regulation 18D (advertisement of vacancies for sole practitioners) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) For paragraph (1)(a) substitute - 

    (3) In paragraph (2) for "within such period as the Medical Practices Committee has specified pursuant to regulation 12(4)(d)," substitute "within the period specified in regulation 13(7),".

    (4) In paragraph (3) - 

    (5) In paragraph (6) for "the locality" substitute "the area, and shall be set after consultation with any other Health Authority in whose area prospective patients reside".

    
18. In regulation 18E (criteria for approval and nomination), in paragraph (3) omit "to the Secretary of State".

    
19.  - (1) Regulation 18F (entry on to medical list) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph (1), omit ", and shall inform the Medical Practices Committee that it has done so.".

    (3) After paragraph (1) insert - 

    (4) In paragraph (3) omit "to the Secretary of State".

     20. In regulation 18G (appeal to the Secretary of State) - 

     21. Omit regulations 18H (cases not requiring a reference to the Medical Practices Committee) and 18I (procedure in cases to which regulation 18H applies).

    
22. For regulation 18J (cross-border vacancies) substitute - 

     23.  - (1) Regulation 18K (practice vacancies where patients are subject to pilot scheme proposals) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph (1) - 

    (3) For paragraph (2) substitute - 

    (4) Omit paragraph (4).

    
24. For Regulation 18L (transitional provision) substitute - 

Amendment of regulation 37
     25. In regulation 37 (publication of particulars), in paragraph (3)(a) omit "the Medical Practices Committee,".

Amendment of regulation 40
    
26. In regulation 40 (certificate that transaction does not involve sale of goodwill), for "the Medical Practices Committee" substitute "the Secretary of State".

Amendment of Schedule 2
    
27.  - (1) Schedule 2 (terms of service) shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions.

    (2) In paragraph 24(3) for "to the Medical Practices Committee" substitute "to the Secretary of State".

    (3) In paragraph 24(4) - 

    (4) In paragraph 29(8)(b) for "pursuant to section 33(4)(b) or (5) of the Act" and in paragraph 29A(3)(b) for "pursuant to section 33(4)(b) of the Act" substitute "under regulation 13(1)(c).".

    (5) In paragraph 32 - 

    (6) In paragraph 33(1) for "the Medical Practices Committee" substitute "the Secretary of State".

    (7) In paragraph 34 (practice area), for sub-paragraph (2) substitute - 

Amendment of Schedule 3
    
28.  - (1) Schedule 3 shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions.

    (2) For the heading to Part I (information to be included in a report by a Health Authority when making a reference to the Medical Practices Committee) substitute - 

    (3) Omit paragraphs 9 and 10.

    (4) For the heading to Part IB (additional information to be included where the reference is being made to the Medical Practices Committee on the death of a doctor, or the withdrawal or removal of a doctor from a medical list) substitute - 

    (5) In paragraph 13 for "If the Medical Practices Committee so requests," substitute "Where the Health Authority considers it necessary,".

    (6) Omit Part II (information to be included in a report by a Health Authority to the Medical Practices Committee concerning adequacy of services).

Amendment of Schedule 7
    
29. In Schedule 7 (form of certificate to be issued by Medical Practices Committee under paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 10 to the National Health Service Act 1977) - 

Amendment of Schedule 8
    
30. In Schedule 8 (doctors' hours) - 

Further amendments of Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations
    
31.  - (1) In the principal Regulations, Schedule 2 (terms of service) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs.

    (2) In paragraph 23A(1) (assistants and deputies) for "before 28th February 2002." substitute "before 31st March 2002.".

    (3) After paragraph 50A (NCAA assessment), insert the following paragraph - 

Minor amendments of the principal Regulations
    
32. The principal Regulations shall be amended in accordance with the provisions of the Schedule.



Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Health


John Hutton
Minister of State, Department of Health

8th March 2002



SCHEDULE
Regulation 32


Minor amendments to the General Medical Services Regulations


     1. Regulation 7B (criteria for decisions on removal) shall be amended as follows - 

     2. In Regulation 7D (notifications by Health Authorities) - 

     3. In regulation 7E (procedure on removal), in paragraph (3)(c) omit "calendar".

     4. In regulation 7G (procedure on review of Health Authority decision) - 

     5. In regulation 18EE (grounds for refusal) - 

     6. In regulation 18EF (deferment of decision) - 

     7. In regulation 18M (conditional inclusion) - 

     8. In Schedule 2 (terms of service) in paragraph 23A(1) for "under these Regulations," substitute "under the National Health Service (General Medical Services Supplementary List) Regulations 2001[7],".



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 ("the principal Regulations"), which regulate the selection of general practitioners ("GPs") to fill practice vacancies.

Following the abolition of the Medical Practices Committee by section 14 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001, these Regulations provide for a new system for the identification of vacancies by Health Authorities and the imposition of conditions of practice on GPs filling those vacancies and makes consequential amendments to the principal Regulations.

Section 14 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 also transferred the function of issuing a certificate to GPs that a transaction does not involve the sale of goodwill to the Secretary of State and regulations 26 and 29 make consequential amendments to the principal Regulations.

Regulation 24 amends regulation 18L to provide new transitional provisions to reflect the changes made to Part III of the principal Regulations by these Regulations.

Regulation 31 makes further amendments to Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (terms of service). Paragraph (2) of the regulation amends the date by which a doctor must submit an application to be on the medical supplementary list or medical list if he is not already on such a list and wishes to be engaged as a deputy or employed as an assistant after 1st April 2002. Paragraph (3) adds a new term of service for general medical services doctors that all such doctors must participate in Health Authority appraisal schemes.

Regulation 32 and the Schedule make minor amendments to the principal Regulations.


Notes:

[1] 1977 c.49; see section 128(1) as amended by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c.19) ("the 1990 Act"), section 26(2)(g) and (i), for the definitions of "prescribed" and "regulations". Section 29 was extended by the Health and Medicines Act 1988 (c.49), section 17; and amended by the Health Services Act 1980 (c.53), sections 1 and 7 and Schedule 1, paragraph 42(b); by the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 (c.41), Schedule 6, paragraph 2; by the Medical Act 1983 (c.54), section 56(1) and Schedule 5, paragraph 16(a); by S.I. 1985/39, article 7(3); by the Health Authorities Act 1995 (c.17), Schedule 1, paragraph 18; and by the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 (c.46) ("the 1997 Act"), Schedule 2, paragraph 8. Section 29A was inserted by the 1997 Act, section 32, and amended by the Health and Social Care Act 2001 (c.15) ("the 2001 Act"), section 20. Section 29B was inserted by the 1997 Act, section 32, and amended by the 2001 Act, sections 15 and 20. Section 43ZA was inserted by the 2001 Act, section 21. Sections 49O, 49Q and 49R were inserted by the 2001 Act, section 25. Section 126(4) was amended by the 1990 Act, section 65(2); by the Health Act 1999 (c.8), Schedule 4, paragraph 37(6) and by the 2001 Act, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(13)(b). As regards Wales, the functions of the Secretary of State under section 29, 29A, 29B and 126(4) of the 1977 Act are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales under article 2 of, and Schedule 1 to, the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999, S.I. 1999/672; section 68 of the 2001 Act provides that Schedule 1 shall be construed so as to include the amendments made by that Act to the 1977 Act; these Regulations therefore extend only to England.back

[2] 2001 c.15.back

[3] S.I. 1992/635; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1998/682, 1998/2838, 2000/220 and 2001/3742.back

[4] Paragraph (2) was omitted from regulation 18F by regulation 8(b) of S.I. 2001/3742.back

[5] 1978 c.29.back

[6] S.I. 2002/553.back

[7] S.I. 2001/3740.back



ISBN 0 11 039880 7


  Prepared 7 May 2002


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