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PART VIN.I.GENERAL HEALTH SERVICES

Local representative committeesN.I.

[F1Recognition of[F2 Local Dental Committees, Local Optical Committees and Local Pharmaceutical Committees]N.I.

55.  Para. (1) rep. by 2004 NI 2

(2) [F3The Department] may recognise a committee formed for [F4an area] which it is satisfied is representative of—

(a)the dental practitioners providing general dental services in that area;

(b)those dental practitioners and the deputy dental practitioners for that area; or

(c)the dental practitioners mentioned in—

(i)sub-paragraph (a); or

(ii)sub-paragraph (b),

and the Article 15B dental practitioners for that area,

and any committee so recognised shall be called the Local Dental Committee for the area.

(3) Where [F5the Department] is satisfied that a committee formed for [F6an area] is representative—

(a)of the [F7ophthalmic medical practitioners and] ophthalmic opticians providing general ophthalmic services in that area, or

(b)of the persons providing pharmaceutical services in that area,

[F5the Department] may recognise that committee; and any committee so recognised shall be called the Local Optical Committee or the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, as the case may be, for the area concerned.

(4) Any committee recognised under this Article may with the approval of [F8the Department] delegate any of its functions, with or without restrictions or conditions, to sub-committees composed of members of that committee.

(5) For the purposes of this Article and Article 55A, a person who meets the condition in paragraph (6)—

Sub-paras. (a) and (b) rep. by 2004 NI 2

(c)is a deputy dental practitioner for [F9an area] if he is a dental practitioner who assists a dental practitioner providing general dental services in that area in the provision of those services F10. . . ;

(d)is an Article 15B dental practitioner for [F11an area] if he is a dental practitioner who provides or performs personal dental services in accordance with arrangements made under Article 15B by [F12the Department] (whether with himself or another).

(6) The condition referred to in paragraph (5) is that the person concerned has notified [F13the Department] that he wishes to be represented under this Article by the appropriate committee for [F14the area] (and has not notified it that he wishes to cease to be so represented).

(7) For the purposes of paragraph (5)—

(a)a person is to be treated as assisting aF2. . . dental practitioner in the provision of services if he is employed by that practitioner for that purpose or if he acts as his deputy in providing those services; F15. . .

(b)F16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

Functions of[F17 Local Dental Committees, Local Optical Committees and Local Pharmaceutical Committees]N.I.

55A.—(1) Regulations may require [F18the Department] —

(a)in the exercise of its functions under this Part to consult committees recognised by it under Article 55;

(b)in the exercise of any of its functions which relate to arrangements under Article 15B to consult committees recognised by it under[F17 Article 55(2)(c)],

on such occasions and to such extent as may be prescribed.

(2) The power conferred by paragraph (1) is without prejudice to [F19any other duty on the Department] to consult any committee recognised under Article 55.

(3) Committees recognised under Article 55 shall exercise such other functions as may be prescribed.

(4) A committee recognised for an area under[F17 paragraph (2)(b) or (c)] of Article 55 shall, in respect of each year, determine the amount of its administrative expenses for that year attributable—

Sub-paras. (a) and (b) rep. by 2004 NI 2

(c)in the case of a committee recognised under paragraph (2)(b) or (c)(ii) of that Article, to the deputy dental practitioners for the area;

(d)in the case of a committee recognised under paragraph (2)(c) of that Article, to the Article 15B dental practitioners for the area.

(5) [F20The Department] may, on the request of any committee recognised under Article 55 for [F21an area], allot to that committee such sums for defraying the committee's administrative expenses as may be determined by [F22the Department] .

(6) Any sums so allotted shall be out of the moneys available to [F23the Department] for the remuneration of persons of whom the committee so recognised is representative and who provideF17. . . , general dental services, general ophthalmic services or pharmaceutical services, as the case may be, under this Part.

(7) The amount of any such sums shall be deducted from the remuneration of those persons in such manner as may be determined by [F24the Department] .

(8) Where a committee has made a determination under paragraph (4), it shall apportion the amount so determined among theF17. . . , deputy dental practitioners or Article 15B dental practitioners, as the case may be, for the area and each such practitioner shall pay in accordance with the committee's directions the amount so apportioned to him.

(9) References in this Article to administrative expenses of a committee include references to travelling and subsistence allowances payable to its members; but the reference in paragraph (5) to a committee's administrative expenses does not include so much of the committee's administrative expenses as are determined under paragraph (4) to be attributable to any practitioners mentioned in that paragraph.

[F25Local Medical CommitteesN.I.

55B.—(1) [F26The Department] may recognise a committee [F27formed for an area], which it is satisfied is representative of—

(a)the persons to whom paragraph (2) applies; and

(b)the persons to whom paragraph (3) applies.

(2) This paragraph applies to—

(a)every medical practitioner who, under a general medical services contract entered into by him, is providing primary medical services in the area for which the committee is formed; and

(b)every medical practitioner who is providing general ophthalmic services in that area.

(3) This paragraph applies to every other medical practitioner—

(a)who is performing primary medical services in the area for which the committee is formed;

(i)pursuant to Article 56(2)(a);

(ii)in accordance with Article 15B arrangements; or

(iii)under a general medical services contract; and

(b)who has notified [F28the Department] that he wishes to be represented by the committee (and has not notified it that he wishes to cease to be so represented).

(4) A committee recognised under this Article shall be called the Local Medical Committee for the area for which it is formed.

(5) Any such committee may delegate any of its functions, with or without restrictions or conditions, to sub-committees composed of members of that committee.

(6) Regulations may require [F29the Department] , in the exercise of its functions relating to primary medical services, to consult any committee recognised by it under this Article on such occasions and to such extent as may be prescribed.

(7) A committee recognised under this Article shall have such other functions as may be prescribed.

(8) A committee recognised under this Article shall in respect of each year determine—

(a)the amount of its administrative expenses for that year attributable to persons of whom it is representative under paragraph (1)(a); and

(b)the amount of its administrative expenses for that year attributable to persons of whom it is representative under paragraph (1)(b).

(9) [F30The Department] may—

(a)on the request of a committee recognised by it, allot to that committee such sums for defraying the expenses referred to in paragraph (8)(a) as it may determine; and

(b)deduct the amount of such sums from the remuneration of persons of whom it is representative under paragraph (1)(a) under the general medical services contracts, or arrangements under Article 62, entered into by them with [F31the Department] .

(10) A committee recognised under this Article shall apportion the amount determined by it under paragraph (8)(b) among the persons of whom it is representative under paragraph (1)(b); and each such person shall pay in accordance with the committee's directions the amount so apportioned to him.

(11) References in this Article to the administrative expenses of a committee include the travelling and subsistence allowances payable to its members.]