The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2019

Amendment of regulation 3 of the GMS Contracts Regulations

2.  In regulation 3 of the GMS Contracts Regulations (interpretation)(1)—

(a) in the definition of “additional services” omit paragraph (b);

(b) for the definition of “contraceptive services”, substitute—

““contraceptive services” means the following services—

(a)

the giving of advice about the full range of contraceptive methods;

(b)

where appropriate, the medical examination of patients seeking such advice;

(c)

the treatment of such patients for contraceptive purposes and the prescribing of contraceptive substances and appliances (excluding the fitting and implanting of intrauterine devices and implants);

(d)

the giving of advice about emergency contraception and, where appropriate, the supplying or prescribing of emergency hormonal contraception;

(e)

the giving of advice and referral in cases of unplanned pregnancy including advice about the availability of free pregnancy testing in the contractor’s practice area;

(f)

the giving of initial advice about sexual health promotion and sexually transmitted infections; and

(g)

the referral as necessary to specialist sexual health services, including tests for sexually transmitted infections;”;

(c) after the definition of “practice premises” insert—

““practice website” means any website through which the contractor advertises the primary medical services it provides;”;

(d) after the definition of “primary medical services” insert—

““private services” means the provision of any treatment which would amount to primary medical services if it were provided under or by virtue of a contract or agreement to which the provisions of Part 4 of the Act apply;”; and

(e) for the definition of “repeatable prescription”, substitute—

““repeatable prescription” means—

(a)

a form provided by the Board, a local authority or Secretary of State for the purpose of ordering a drug, medicine or appliance which is in the format required by the NHS Business Services Authority and which—

(i)

is issued, or is to be issued, by a repeatable prescriber to enable a chemist or person providing dispensing services to receive payment for the provision of repeat dispensing services,

(ii)

indicates, or is to indicate, that the drug, medicine or appliance ordered may be provided more than once, and

(iii)

specifies, or is to specify, the number of occasions on which the drug, medicine or appliance may be provided; or

(b)

in the case of an electronic prescription to which regulation 57 applies, data created in an electronic form for the purpose of ordering a drug, medicine or appliance, which—

(i)

is signed, or is to be signed, with a prescriber’s advanced electronic signature,

(ii)

is transmitted, or is to be transmitted, as an electronic communication to a nominated dispenser or via an information hub by the Electronic Prescription Service, and

(iii)

indicates, or is to indicate, that the drug, medicine or appliance ordered may be provided more than once and specifies, or is to specify, the number of occasions on which the drug, medicine or appliance may be provided;”.

(1)

The definition of repeatable prescription was amended by S.I. 2018/1114.