General Medical Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Certification

42.—(1) A doctor shall issue free of charge to a patient or his personal representatives, any medical certificate of a description mentioned in column 1 of Schedule 9, which is reasonably required under or for the purposes of the statutory provisions specified in column 2 of that Schedule, except where, for the condition to which the certificate relates, the patient—

(a)is being attended by another doctor (other than a partner, assistant or other deputy of the first named doctor); or

(b)is not being treated by, or under the supervision of, a doctor.

(2) The exception in sub-paragraph (1)(a) shall not apply where the certificate is issued pursuant to regulation 2(1) of the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976(1) (which provides for the issue of a certificate in the form of a special statement by a doctor on the basis of a written report by another doctor).

(3) Any certificate under sub-paragraph (1) for the purposes of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(2) or the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(3) shall be issued in accordance with any Regulations made under either of those Acts.