The National Health Service (Choice of Medical Practitioner) (Scotland) Regulations 1998

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Choice of Medical Practitioner) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 and shall come into force on 1st April 1998.

(2) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires–

(a) “the 1978 Act” means the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978;

“the 1997 Act” means the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997(1);

“doctor” means a registered medical practitioner;

“doctor’s list” means a list of doctor’s patients kept by a Health Board–

(i)

in respect of a doctor providing general medical services, in accordance with regulation 27(2) of the GMS Regulations, and

(ii)

in respect of a doctor performing personal medical services(3), in accordance with paragraph 3 of the Directions to Health Boards Concerning Patient Lists (Personal Medical Services) made under section 6(1) of the 1997 Act;

“the GMS Regulations” means the National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995(4);

“medical card” means a card issued to a person for the purpose of enabling him to obtain, or establishing his title to receive primary medical services(5), other than contraceptive services, maternity medical services, child health surveillance services and minor surgery services;

“pilot scheme provider” means a person, other than a Health Board, who is a party to a pilot scheme agreement;

“pilot scheme agreement” means an agreement which constitutes, or is one of the agreements which together constitute, a pilot scheme under section 1(1)(a) of the 1997 Act;

“pooled list” means a list of persons who have been accepted by a pilot scheme provider for the provision of personal medical services, and whose names are not included in a doctor’s list;

“temporary resident” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 7; and

(b) “child health surveillance services”, “contraceptive services”, “maternity medical services” and “minor surgery services” have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the GMS Regulations(6).

(1)

1997 c. 46.

(2)

Regulation 27 was amended by S.I. 1998/660.

(3)

“Personal medical services” is defined in section 1(8) of the 1997 Act.

(4)

S.I. 1995/416, amended by S.I. 1995/3199, 1996/842 and 1504, 1997/943 and 1473 and 1998/4.

(5)

“Primary medical services” is defined in section 17F(6) of the 1978 Act, inserted by section 23(2) of the 1997 Act.

(6)

See regulation 2(1), to which there have been amendments which are not relevant to this regulation.