The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015

PART 6 E+W [F1 Provision of information: practice leaflet, use of NHS primary care logo, marketing campaigns and advertising private services]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 3 Pt. 6 heading substituted (1.10.2019) by The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1137), regs. 1(2), 16

Information to be included in practice leaflets E+W

48.  A practice leaflet must include—

(a) the name of the contractor;

(b) the address of each of the contractor's practice premises;

(c) the contractor's telephone and fax number and its website address [F2 or the address at which its online practice profile is available];

(d) in the case of a contract with a partnership—

(i) whether or not the partnership is a limited partnership, and

(ii) the names of all the partners in the partnership and, in the case of a limited partnership, the status of the partners as either a general or a limited partner;

(e) in the case of a contract with a company limited by shares—

(i) the names of the directors, the company secretary and the shareholders of that company, and

(ii) the address of the company's registered office;

(f) the full name of each person performing services under the contract;

(g) the professional qualifications of each health care professional providing services under the contract;

(h) whether the contractor undertakes the teaching or training of health care professionals or persons intending to become health care professionals;

(i) the contractor's practice area, including the area known as the outer boundary area (within the meaning given by regulation 20(3)) by reference to [F3 an image of the practice area, a written description of the practice area or a digital practice area map];

(j) the access arrangements which the contractor's [F4 practice] premises has for providing services to disabled patients and, if none, the alternative arrangements for providing services to such patients;

(k) how to register as a patient;

(l) information about the assignment by the contractor to its new and existing patients of an accountable GP in accordance with paragraph 8;

(m) information about the assignment by the contractor to its patients aged 75 and over of an accountable GP in accordance with paragraph 11;

(n) the right of patients to express a preference of practitioner in accordance with paragraph 22 and the means of expressing such a preference;

(o) the services available under the contract;

(p) the opening hours of the practice premises and the method of obtaining access to services throughout the core hours;

(q) the criteria for home visits and the method of obtaining such visits;

(r) the consultations available to patients under paragraphs 9 and 10;

(s) the arrangements for services in the out of hours period (whether or not provided by the contractor) and how the patient may access such services;

(t) if services during the out of hours period are not provided by the contractor, the fact that [F5 NHS England] is responsible for the commissioning of those services;

(u) the method by which patients may obtain repeat prescriptions;

(v) if the contractor offers repeatable prescribing services, the arrangements for providing such services;

(w) if the contractor is a dispensing contractor, the arrangements for dispensing prescriptions;

(x) how patients may make a complaint or comment on the provision of services;

(y) the rights and responsibilities of the patient, including keeping appointments;

(z) the action that may be taken under paragraph 25 where a patient is violent or abusive to the contractor, the contractor's staff, persons present on the practice premises or in the place where treatment is provided under the contract;

(aa) details of who has access to patient information (including information from which the identity of the individual can be ascertained) and the patient's rights in relation to disclosure of such information;

(bb) the full name, postal and electronic mail address and telephone number of [F5 NHS England].

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in Sch. 3 para. 48(c) substituted (1.4.2020) by The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/226), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 13(3)

F3 Words in Sch. 3 para. 48(i) substituted (27.5.2024) by The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services and Performers Lists) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/575), reg. 1(2)(a), Sch. 1 para. 1(3)

F4 Word in Sch. 3 para. 48(j) inserted (1.10.2022) by The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/935), reg. 1(b), Sch. 1 para. 7(8)

F5 Words in Regulations substituted (6.11.2023) by The Health and Care Act 2022 (Further Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1071), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 1

[F6 Use of NHS primary care logo E+W

48A.   Where a contractor chooses to apply the NHS primary care logo to signage, stationery, leaflets, posters, its practice website or to any other form of written representation relating to the primary care services it provides, it must have regard to guidance concerning use of the NHS primary care logo produced by Do you want .

Textual Amendments

F6 Sch. 3 paras. 48A-48C inserted (1.10.2019) by The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1137), regs. 1(2), 17

Marketing campaigns E+W

48B.   The contractor must participate in a manner reasonably requested by [F5 NHS England] in up to 6 marketing campaigns in each financial year.

Textual Amendments

F5 Words in Regulations substituted (6.11.2023) by The Health and Care Act 2022 (Further Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1071), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 1

F6 Sch. 3 paras. 48A-48C inserted (1.10.2019) by The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1137), regs. 1(2), 17

Advertising private services E+W

48C.   The contractor must not advertise the provision of private services, either itself or through any other person, whether the contractor provides the services itself or they are provided by another person, by any written or electronic means where the same are used to advertise the primary medical services it provides.]

Textual Amendments

F6 Sch. 3 paras. 48A-48C inserted (1.10.2019) by The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1137), regs. 1(2), 17