Section 62 - Shared services
151.Section 62(1) enables the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service (the “Common Services Agency”) to provide, or arrange the provision of, goods and services to the bodies listed in subsection (2). The Common Services Agency may only provide, or arrange the provision of goods and services to those bodies with the consent of the Scottish Ministers.
152.Subsection (3) provides an illustrative list of the services which may be provided. The list comprises administrative, technical, legal, other professional and accommodation services.
153.The Common Services Agency also has powers under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (“the 1978 Act”) to provide goods and services to certain persons. For example, under section 15 of the 1978 Act, the Common Services Agency may provide goods to doctors, dentists and ophthalmologists who are providing primary medical services under a contract with a Health Board. Subsection (4) sets out that the power of the Common Services Agency to provide goods and services under subsection (1) of this section sits alongside and does not prejudice any other power of the Common Services Agency to provide goods or services to other persons.
154.Subsection (5) enables the Scottish Ministers to amend, by order, the list of persons, or description of persons, to whom the Common Services Agency may provide goods or services.