General Medical Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Patients aged 75 years and over

18.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), a doctor shall, in addition to and without prejudice to any other obligations under these terms of service, in each period of 12 months beginning on 1st April in each year—

(a) invite each person on his list who has attained the age of 75 years to participate in a consultation; and

(b) offer to make a domiciliary visit to each such patient,

for the purpose of assessing whether he needs to render personal medical services to that patient.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of any doctor who is a restricted services principal.

(3) Any consultation pursuant to sub-paragraph (1) may take place in the course of a domiciliary visit pursuant to that sub-paragraph.

(4) In the case of a patient who is accepted for inclusion in a doctor’s list pursuant to paragraph 5, or assigned to him pursuant to regulation 20, and who has attained the age of 75 years when he is so accepted or assigned, an invitation and an offer pursuant to sub-paragraph (1) shall be made within 12 months of the date of his acceptance or assignment.

(5) A doctor shall, when making an assessment following a consultation under sub-paragraph (1), record in the patient’s medical records the observations made of any matter which appear to him to be affecting the patient’s general health including, where appropriate, the patient's—

(a) sensory functions;

(b) mobility;

(c) mental condition;

(d) physical condition including continence;

(e) social environment; and

(f) use of medicines.

(6) A doctor shall keep with the patient’s medical records a report of any observations made in the course of a domiciliary visit made pursuant to sub-paragraph (1) which are relevant to the patient’s general health.

(7) When inviting a patient to participate in a consultation or offering him a domiciliary visit pursuant to sub-paragraph (1), a doctor shall comply with the requirements of paragraph 16(3) as if that paragraph referred to such an offer as well as to an invitation.

(8) Where a patient has participated in a consultation pursuant to sub-paragraph (1), the doctor shall offer to discuss with him the conclusions he has drawn, as a result of the consultation, as to the state of the patient’s health, unless to do so would, in the opinion of the doctor, be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient.