The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2018

Duty to participate in quality arrangements

121.—(1) Subject to paragraph 122, the contractor must meaningfully participate in quality arrangements.

(2) The contractor must nominate a person who will be a Practice Quality Lead for the purpose of—

(a) their cluster membership; and

(b) attending meetings of the contractor’s cluster.

(3) The person nominated under sub‑paragraph (2) must be a general medical practitioner who performs services under the contract.

(4) In this paragraph and paragraph 122—

“cluster” means a group of practices where each practice is represented by a Practice Quality Lead;

“Cluster Quality Lead” means a person who is a member of a cluster that is appointed by a Health Board to represent that cluster to the Health Board;

“meaningfully participate” means, as a minimum—

(a)

ensuring that all members of the contractor’s practice supply the Practice Quality Lead with any requested information(“practice quality data”);

(b)

considering practice quality data with the support and direction of the Practice Quality Lead; and

(c)

having regard to any quality improvement measures proposed by the contractor’s cluster;

“quality arrangements” means the proceedings and arrangements specified in directions given by the Scottish Ministers under section 2(5) of the Act; and

“Practice Quality Lead” means a medical practitioner nominated by a contractor to represent the contractor’s practice to the cluster.