The National Health Service Trusts (Establishment) Amendment Order 2013

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the definition of “community health services” in the establishment Orders of the National Health Service trusts listed in the Schedules to the Order. The definition is relevant for the purposes of the functions of the trusts listed, which include the function of providing community health services for the purposes of the health service. The revised definition reflects the changes in responsibility for provision and commissioning of health services brought about by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7) from 1st April 2013.

The definition of community health services currently refers to services which the Secretary of State provides under section 3(1)(d) or (e) of the National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41) (“the 2006 Act”). This Order updates that reference, so that it refers instead to services whose provision is arranged by clinical commissioning groups under section 3(1)(d) or (e) of the 2006 Act. In addition, it will now include a reference to services of a kind mentioned in section 3(1)(d) or (e) of the 2006 Act, but whose provision must be arranged by the National Health Service Commissioning Board under regulations made under section 3B of the 2006 Act. These regulations are currently the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2996), which require the Board to arrange for the provision of community services for serving members of the armed forces and their families. The new definition also includes a reference to services of a kind mentioned in section 3(1)(d) or (e) of the 2006 Act, but which are provided by the Secretary of State or local authorities under section 2B of the 2006 Act.

The current definition of community health services also includes services which the Secretary of State must provide under paragraph 1 or 8 of Schedule 1 to the 2006 Act, or which the Secretary of State may provide under paragraph 2 or 7A of that Schedule. These provisions relate to medical inspection of school pupils, contraceptive services and weighing and measuring of children. These references are updated by this Order so that they refer to the appropriate body (local authorities or the Secretary of State) which has responsibility for them from 1st April 2013.

Article 2(1) and Schedule 1 make the necessary amendments to National Health Service trust establishment Orders which refer to services provided under the 2006 Act. Article 2(2) and Schedule 2 amend such Orders which refer to services provided under that Act’s predecessor, the National Health Service Act 1977 (c. 49).

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on the private sector or civil society organisations.