General Medical Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Provision of services to patients during and outside normal hours

14.—(1) In this paragraph, the services referred to in paragraph 13 are called the “relevant services”.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, a doctor shall render the relevant services during the hours for which he is normally available pursuant to paragraph 36 (in this paragraph referred to as “normal hours”)—

(a) at his practice premises; or

(b) in the case of a patient whose condition is such that, in the doctor’s reasonable opinion, it would be inappropriate for the patient to attend at the practice premises, at whichever of the places set out in sub-paragraph (5) as is appropriate.

(3) Outside normal hours, the doctor shall consider, in the light of the patient’s medical condition, whether a consultation is needed and, if so, when.

(4) If, in the doctor’s reasonable opinion, a consultation is needed before the next time at which the patient could be seen during normal hours, he shall render the relevant services—

(a) at his practice premises;

(b) at such other place as the Board has agreed, pursuant to paragraph 37, and he has informed the patient, pursuant to that paragraph, is a place where he will treat patients outside normal hours; or

(c) in the case of a patient whose condition is such that, in the doctor’s reasonable opinion, it would be inappropriate for the patient to attend either at the practice premises or at such other place, at whichever of the places set out in sub-paragraph (5) as is appropriate.

(5) The places referred to in sub-paragraphs (2)(b) and (4)(c) are—

(a) the place where the patient was residing when he was accepted by the doctor for inclusion in his list pursuant to paragraph 5 or, as the case may be, when he was assigned to the doctor pursuant to regulation 20 or, in the case of a patient who was previously on the list of a doctor in a practice declared vacant, when the doctor succeeded to the vacancy;

(b) such other place as the doctor has informed the patient and the Board is the place where he has agreed to visit and treat the patient;

(c) some other place in the doctor’s practice area.

(6) Nothing in this paragraph prevents the doctor from—

(a) arranging for the referral of a patient pursuant to paragraph 13(2)(d) without first seeing the patient, in a case where the medical condition of the patient makes that course of action appropriate; or

(b) visiting the patient in circumstances where this paragraph does not place him under an obligation to do so.