The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2012

Applications relating to emergencies requiring the flexible provision of pharmaceutical services

29.—(1) Section 129(2A) and (2B) of the 2006 Act(1) (regulations as to pharmaceutical services) do not apply to an application for a temporary amendment to a pharmaceutical list which the Primary Care Trust is satisfied is necessary or expedient because of an emergency requiring the flexible provision of pharmaceutical services.

(2) In the circumstances described in paragraph (1), the Primary Care Trust may make a temporary amendment to an entry in the pharmaceutical list, but—

(a) only for a specified period (which must not be longer than the specified period of the emergency given by the Secretary of State) which the Primary Care Trust may extend or curtail in appropriate circumstances; and

(b) the applicant may revert to the applicant’s overridden entry in the pharmaceutical list before the end of the period specified by the Primary Care Trust, on giving the Primary Care Trust at least 24 hours notice.

(3) There is no right of appeal under these Regulations in respect of a decision to make or not to make, or to curtail the duration of, a temporary amendment to a pharmaceutical list made under this regulation.

(4) For the purposes of these Regulations, “emergency requiring the flexible provision of pharmaceutical services” means an emergency declared by means of a direction to Primary Care Trusts under section 8(1) of the 2006 Act (Secretary of State’s directions to health service bodies) to the effect that, as a result of threatened or actual serious damage to human welfare caused or which may be caused by the circumstances specified in the direction, Primary Care Trusts must for a specified period—

(a) exercise, or

(b) where a discretion is conferred, consider exercising,

one or more of their functions under paragraph (2), regulation 61, paragraph 27 of Schedule 4 or paragraph 17 of Schedule 5, subject to any conditions or limitations set out in the direction.

(5) Where—

(a) a direction of the type mentioned in paragraph (4) is given; and

(b) the Secretary of State issues a further direction changing the specified period of the emergency,

the duration of the emergency is to be construed in accordance with the specified period as so changed.

(1)

Section 129(2A) and (2B) were inserted by the Health Act 2009 (c. 21), section 26(3).