The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services Section 17C Agreements) (Scotland) Regulations 2018

Termination and the NHS dispute resolution procedure

77.—(1) Where the Health Board is entitled to serve written notice on the provider or a party to the agreement terminating the agreement with the provider or a party to the agreement pursuant to paragraphs 67 to 74, the Health Board must, in the notice served on the provider or the party to the agreement pursuant to those provisions, specify a date on which the agreement with the provider or a party to the agreement terminates that is not less than 28 days after the date on which the Health Board has served that notice on the provider or the party to the agreement unless sub-paragraph (2) applies.

(2) This sub-paragraph applies if the Health Board is satisfied that a period less than 28 days is necessary in order to—

(a) protect the safety of the provider’s patients; or

(b) protect itself from material financial loss.

(3) In a case falling with sub-paragraph (1), where the exceptions in sub-paragraph (2) do not apply, where the provider invokes the local dispute resolution process before the end of the period of notice referred to in sub-paragraph (1), and it notifies the Health Board in writing that it has done so, the agreement must not terminate at the end of the notice period but instead must only terminate in the circumstances specified in sub-paragraph (4).

(4) The agreement must only terminate if and when—

(a) there has been a resolution of the dispute between the parties which allows the Health Board to terminate the agreement with the provider or the party to the agreement;

(b) there has been no resolution of the dispute between the parties as a result of the local dispute resolution process and the provider does not refer the matter to the Scottish Ministers under paragraph 57 or 58 within 28 days of the end of the period specified in—

(i) paragraph 56(8); or

(ii) the date on which the local dispute resolution process was completed,

whichever is the earlier;

(c) either party refers the matter to the Scottish Ministers under paragraph 57 or 58 within the period specified in sub-paragraph (b); and either

(i) there has been a determination of the dispute pursuant to paragraph 59 and that determination permits the Health Board to terminate the agreement with the provider or the party to the agreement; or

(ii) the provider ceases to pursue the NHS dispute resolution procedure

whichever is earlier.

(5) If the Health Board is satisfied that it is necessary to terminate the agreement before the local dispute resolution process or the NHS dispute resolution procedure is concluded in order to–

(a) protect the safety of the provider’s patients; or

(b) protect itself from material financial loss,

sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) must not apply and the Health Board must be entitled to confirm, by written notice to be served on the provider, that the agreement with the provider or a party to the agreement will nevertheless terminate at the end of the period of the notice it served pursuant to paragraphs 67 to 74.