The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005

Persons to whom mandatory services or additional services are to be provided

1.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (3) and (5), the contractor may agree to provide mandatory or additional services under the contract to any person if a request is made for such services by—

(a) the person who requires the services; or

(b) a person specified in sub-paragraph (2), on behalf of the person who requires those services.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), a request for services may be made—

(a) on behalf of any child by—

(i) either parent;

(ii) a person duly authorised by a local authority to whose care the child has been committed under the Children Act 1989(1); or

(iii) a person duly authorised by a voluntary organisation by which the child is being accommodated under the provisions of that Act; or

(b) on behalf of any adult who is incapable of making such an application, or authorising such an application to be made on their behalf, by a relative or the primary carer of that person.

(3) The contractor may refuse to provide mandatory or additional services in relation to a person falling outside a specified group of persons only where the contract provides for the contractor to provide such services to a specified group.

(4) The contractor shall only refuse to provide services under the contract to a person if it has reasonable grounds for doing so which do not relate to—

(a) a person’s race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical or dental condition; or

(b) a person’s decision or intended decision to accept or refuse private services in respect of himself or a family member.

(5) Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply—

(a) where the contractor is providing mandatory or additional services in a prison; or

(b) in any event to dental public health services.

(1)

1989 c. 41.