The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Wales) Regulations 2013

Removal from a pharmaceutical list for other reasons

35.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a Local Health Board must remove a person from a pharmaceutical list that it maintains where it becomes aware that the person (and where the person is a body corporate, any director or superintendent of that body)—

(a) has been convicted in the United Kingdom of murder;

(b) has been convicted in the United Kingdom of a criminal offence which was committed after the date on which these Regulations come into force and has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of over six months; or

(c) is subject to a national disqualification.

(2) Where a Local Health Board is considering removing a person from its pharmaceutical list under grounds contained in paragraph (1), the Local Health Board must, before reaching its decision—

(a) notify the person of the action that it is considering taking and the grounds for considering taking that action; and

(b) as part of that notification—

(i) inform the person of any allegation made against him or her; and

(ii) advise the person that he or she may make—

(aa) written representations to the Local Health Board with regard to that action provided such representations are received by the Local Health Board within 30 days beginning with the date of notification by the Local Health Board; and

(bb) oral representations to the Local Health Board with regard to that action, provided the person notifies the Local Health Board of his or her wish to make oral representations within 30 days beginning with the date of the notification by the Local Health Board and the person (or a representative) attends the hearing that the Local Health Board arranges for the purposes of hearing those representations; and

(c) in a case to which paragraph (1)(a) or (b) applies, if the person is a body corporate, advise the person that the Local Health Board will not remove the body corporate from its pharmaceutical list as a consequence of paragraph (1)(a) or (b) (without prejudice to any other action that it may take), provided that—

(i) the director or superintendent concerned ceases to be a director or superintendent of the body corporate within the period of 30 days commencing with the date of the notice; and

(ii) within that period, the body corporate notifies the Local Health Board of the date on which the director or superintendent has ceased or is to cease to be a director or superintendent of the body corporate.

(3) A Local Health Board must remove a person from a pharmaceutical list—

(a) if the person has not, in the preceding six months, provided pharmaceutical services from the premises in respect of which the person is included in the pharmaceutical list (but a period during which the person has been suspended does not count towards calculating the six month period); or

(b) if the person has died, but not if that person’s business is carried on after his or her death by a representative under section 72 of the Medicines Act 1968 (representative of pharmacist in case of death or disability) so long as the business is carried on by the representative in accordance with the provisions of that Act, and the representative agrees to be bound by the terms of service; or

(c) if the person is no longer a registered pharmacist.

(4) Before removing a person from a pharmaceutical list under paragraph (3) the Local Health Board must—

(a) give the person or the person’s representative mentioned under paragraph (3)(b) 30 days notice of its intention to remove the person from the pharmaceutical list;

(b) give the person or the person’s representative mentioned under paragraph (3)(b) the opportunity to make representations in writing or, if he or she so desires, in person, during that period; and

(c) consult the Local Pharmaceutical Committee.

(5) Once the Local Health Board has taken a decision to remove the person from the pharmaceutical list on grounds contained in paragraph (1), it must notify the person of that decision and it must include with the notification an explanation of—

(a) the reasons for the decision;

(b) the person’s right of appeal against its decision to the Tribunal; and

(c) the time limit within which, in accordance with the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008, the application notice must be sent to the Tribunal if an appeal is to be brought.

(6) The Local Health Board must notify the person immediately in writing of its decision under paragraph (3) to remove the person from the pharmaceutical list and of the person’s right of appeal under paragraph (7).

(7) A person notified under paragraph (6) may, within 30 days of receiving the notice appeal the decision by notice in writing to the Welsh Ministers setting out the grounds of appeal.

(8) Upon receipt of an appeal under paragraph (7) the Welsh Ministers must notify the Local Health Board that an appeal has been received.

(9) The Welsh Ministers may determine the appeal in respect of which a valid notice of appeal has been given in accordance with paragraph (7) in such manner (including with regard to procedures) as the Welsh Ministers think fit.

(10) On determining an appeal under paragraph (9), the Welsh Ministers may—

(a) confirm the decision of the Local Health Board; or

(b) substitute for that decision any decision that the Local Health Board could have taken when it took that decision.

(11) A Local Health Board must not remove the person’s name from the pharmaceutical list until—

(a) if no appeal is made, the period for bringing an appeal against the decision has elapsed; or

(b) if an appeal is made, the appeal is determined.

(12) Where an appeal is upheld, the Local Health Board must not remove the person’s name from the pharmaceutical list.