The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services Section 17C Agreements) (Scotland) Regulations 2018

Assignments to closed lists: determination of the assessment panel

25.—(1) This paragraph applies where most or all of the providers (by any arrangement) of essential services (or their equivalent) whose practice premises are within the area of a Health Board have closed their lists of patients.

(2) If the Health Board wishes to assign new patients to providers which have closed their lists of patients, it must prepare a proposal to be considered by the assessment panel, and the proposal must include details of those providers to which the Health Board wishes to assign patients.

(3) The Health Board must ensure that the assessment panel is appointed to consider and determine its proposal made under sub-paragraph (2).

(4) The Health Board must notify in writing—

(a) providers or general medical services contractors whose practice premises are within the Health Board’s area which—

(i) have closed their list of patients; and

(ii) may, in the opinion of the Health Board, be affected by the determination of the assessment panel; and

(b) the area medical committee, for the area of the Health Board,

that it has referred the matter to the assessment panel.

(5) In reaching its determination, the assessment panel is to have regard to relevant factors including—

(a) whether the Health Board has attempted to secure the provision of essential services (or their equivalent) for new patients other than by means of their assignment to providers with closed lists of patients; and

(b) the workload of those providers likely to be affected by any decision to assign such patients to their list of patients.

(6) The assessment panel must reach a determination within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the panel was appointed.

(7) The assessment panel must determine whether the Health Board may assign patients to providers which have closed their lists of patients; and if it determines that the Health Board may make such assignments, it must also determine those providers to which patients may be assigned.

(8) The assessment panel may determine that the Health Board may assign patients to providers other than those providers specified by the Health Board in its proposal under sub-paragraph (2), as long as the providers were notified under sub-paragraph (4)(a).

(9) The assessment panel’s determination must include its comments on the matters specified in sub-paragraph (5), and must be notified in writing to those providers which were notified under sub-paragraph (4)(a).

(10) Any decision or determination by the assessment panel for the purposes of this paragraph may be reached by a majority.