The National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005

Co-operation with investigations

51.—(1) The contractor (other than a Primary Care Trust) shall co-operate with—

(a) any investigation of a complaint in relation to any matter reasonably connected with the provision of services under the agreement undertaken by—

(i) the Relevant Body; and

(ii) the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection; and

(b) any investigation of a complaint by an NHS body or local authority which relates to a patient or former patient of the contractor.

(2) In sub-paragraph (1)—

“NHS body” means a Primary Care Trust, an NHS trust, an NHS foundation trust, a Strategic Health Authority, a Local Health Board, a Health Board, a Health and Social Services Board, a Health and Social Services Trust or, a Health Board or Special Health Board constituted under section 2 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978(1);

“local authority” means—

(a)

any of the bodies listed in section 1 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970(2) (local authorities);

(b)

the Council of the Isles of Scilly; or

(c)

a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994(3) (constitution of councils).

(3) The co-operation required by sub-paragraph (1) includes—

(a) answering questions reasonably put to the contractor by the Relevant Body;

(b) providing any information relating to the complaint reasonably required by the Relevant Body; and

(c) attending any meeting to consider the complaint (if held at a reasonably accessible place and at a reasonable hour, and due notice has been given) if the contractor’s presence at the meeting is reasonably required by the Relevant Body.

(1)

1978 c. 29.

(2)

1970 c. 42; section 1 was amended by the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), section 195; and by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (c. 19), Schedule 10, paragraph 7.

(3)

1994 c. 39.