The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010

Amendment of the 2004 Regulations

7.  After regulation 5, insert—

“Further conditions relating to all contracts

5A.— (1) For the purposes of section 17L(4) of the Act (eligibility to be contractor under general medical services contract), a person regularly performs or is engaged in the day to day provision of primary medical services where, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), that person so performs or is so engaged, or will so perform or so engage, for no less than a total of 10 hours in each week for the duration of the contract.

(2) For the purposes of section 17L(5)(b) of the Act, references in section 17L(4) to a person who is performing or is engaged in the provision of services, include a person who has performed or been engaged in providing the services within 6 months prior to the contract being entered into.

(3) For the purposes of section 17L(6) of the Act, the prescribed circumstances in which a period of time in which a person is not performing or is not engaged in the provision of primary medical services is to be disregarded for the purposes of determining whether the person regularly performs or is engaged in the day to day provision of those services are where the period of time is—

(a) a period of annual leave, as determined by the period of annual leave entitlement of the said person;

(b) a local or public holiday in Scotland;

(c) a period of—

(i) maternity leave,

(ii) paternity leave,

(iii) adoption leave as the parent who is the main care provider, or

(iv) adoption leave as the parent who is not the main care provider,

as determined by the period of entitlement of the said person;

(d) a period of time when a person has been incapable of work due to sickness, injury or pregnancy;

(e) a period of time of up to a maximum of 12 months, when a person is undertaking approved study or training;

(f) a period of service as a medical practitioner employed under a contract of service by the Ministry of Defence, whether or not as a member of the armed forces of the Crown, provided that the medical practitioner is entered on the GP Register kept by virtue of section 34C of the Medical Act 1983(1);

(g) a period of whole time service in the armed forces of the Crown in a national emergency, as a volunteer or otherwise, or a compulsory whole time service in those forces, including any service resulting from any reserve liability, or any equivalent service by a person liable for compulsory whole-time service in those forces;

(h) any period during which the person has been suspended by a professional regulatory body, a Health Board or the NHS Tribunal where that person was suspended after the contract with the Health Board was entered into.

(4) For the purposes of this regulation, “approved study or training” means study or training which is relevant for the purposes of the contractor carrying out the obligations under the contract effectively, and which has been approved by the appropriate partner, member or person responsible for training and development.”.

(1)

1983 c.54; section 34C was inserted by the General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010/234, Schedule 1, paragraph 10.