National Health Service Act 1977

[F1 49F Disqualification of practitioners E+W+S

(1) If it appears to a [F2 Primary Care Trust or] Health Authority that any of the conditions set out in subsections (2) to (4) is established in relation to a person included in any of the following prepared by them—

(a) a list of medical practitioners undertaking to provide general medical services,

(b) a list of medical practitioners undertaking to provide general ophthalmic services,

(c) a list of dental practitioners and dental corporations undertaking to provide general dental services,

(d) a list of ophthalmic opticians undertaking to provide general ophthalmic services, or

(e) a list of persons undertaking to provide pharmaceutical services,

(such a person being referred to in this group of sections as a “practitioner”), they may (or, in cases falling within subsection (6), must) decide to remove him from that list.

(2) The first condition is that the continued inclusion of the person concerned in the list would be prejudicial to the efficiency of the services which those included in the list undertake to provide (and such a case is referred to in this group of sections as an “efficiency case”).

(3) The second condition is that the person concerned—

(a) has (whether on his own or together with another) by an act or omission caused, or risked causing, detriment to any health scheme by securing or trying to secure for himself or another any financial or other benefit, and

(b) knew that he or (as the case may be) the other was not entitled to the benefit,

(and such a case is referred to in this group of sections as a “fraud case”).

(4) The third condition is that the person concerned is unsuitable to be included in the list (and such a case is referred to in this group of sections as an “unsuitability case”).

(5) “This group of sections” means this section and sections 49G to 49R below.

(6) In unsuitability cases, the [F3 Primary Care Trust or] Health Authority must remove the practitioner from the list in prescribed circumstances.

(7) The [F4 Primary Care Trust or] Health Authority must state which condition (or conditions) they are relying on when removing a practitioner from a list.

(8) In subsection (3), “health scheme” means—

(a) any of the health services under section 1(1) above or any corresponding enactment extending to Scotland or Northern Ireland, and

(b) any prescribed scheme,

and regulations may prescribe any scheme for the purposes of this subsection which appears to the Secretary of State to be a health or medical scheme paid for out of public funds.

(9) Detriment to a health scheme includes detriment to any patient of, or person working in, that scheme or any person liable to pay charges for services provided under that scheme.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 49F inserted (22.11.2001 for certain purposes for E., 14.12.2001 for all other purposes (except those relating to the provision of pharmaceutical services under the 1977 Act) for E. and 1.7.2002 for W. and 1.2.2003 for E. in so far as not already in force) by 2001 c. 15, ss. 25, 70(2) (with ss. 64(9), 65(4)); S.I. 2001/3738, art. 2(2), Sch. 1 Pt. II; S.I. 2002/1475, art. 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1; S.I. 2003/53, art. 4(b)

F2 Words in s. 49F inserted (1.10.2002) by National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (c. 17), ss. 2(5), 42(3), Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 21(a); S.I. 2002/2478, art. 3(1)(d)

F3 Words in s. 49F inserted (1.10.2002) by National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (c. 17), ss. 2(5), 42(3), Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 21(a); S.I. 2002/2478, art. 3(1)(d)

F4 Words in s. 49F inserted (1.10.2002) by National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (c. 17), ss. 2(5), 42(3), Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 21(a); S.I. 2002/2478, art. 3(1)(d)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 49F(8): definition extended (W.) (26.8.2002) by National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986/975), reg. 9A (as inserted (26.8.2002) by National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/1883), reg. 6)