Health Services Act 1980

2 Family Practitioner Committees for several areas or districts

(1) If directed to do so by the Secretary of State an Area Health Authority or a District Health Authority shall, instead of establishing a Family Practitioner Committee for its area or district in pursuance of section 10 of the Act of 1977, join with such other Area Health Authorities or such other District Health Authorities as are specified in the direction in establishing a Family Practitioner Committee for their combined areas or their combined districts in accordance with Part II of Schedule 5 to the Act of 1977.

(2) Where two or more District Health Authorities are established for districts which together correspond with the area of an existing Area Health Authority those Authorities shall, if directed to do so by the Secretary of State when he makes the order establishing them, instead of each establishing a Family Practitioner Committee for its district in pursuance of section 10 of the Act of 1977, join in adopting the Family Practitioner Committee established by the Area Health Authority, and that Committee shall, for that purpose, continue in existence notwithstanding the dissolution of the Area Health Authority which established it.

(3) The power to give directions under subsection (1) or (2) above shall be exercisable by an instrument in writing and includes power to make such incidental or supplemental provision as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(4) Where a Family Practitioner Committee is, under subsection (1) or (2) above, established by two or more Area Health Authorities or by two or more District Health Authorities or is adopted by two or more District Health Authorities then, subject to subsection (6) below—

(a) it is the duty of those authorities jointly, in accordance with regulations, to arrange for the provision under Part II of the Act of 1977 of general medical services, general dental services, general ophthalmic services and pharmaceutical services and jointly to perform any other functions relating to such Committees conferred or imposed on Area Health Authorities or District Health Authorities by that Act; and

(b) it is the duty of the Committee, in accordance with regulations, to administer on behalf of those authorities, the arrangements so made and to perform such other functions relating to those services as may be prescribed.

(5) In consequence of the foregoing provisions of this section the enactments specified in Part II of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments provided for in that Part of that Schedule and references in Part II of the Act of 1977 to the area or district or persons in the area or district of an authority shall be read, in the case of authorities acting jointly under this section, as references to the combined areas or the combined districts or persons in the combined areas or the combined districts of those authorities.

(6) The Secretary of State may direct by which of the Area Health Authorities or District Health Authorities which have jointly established or adopted a Family Practitioner Committee under subsection (1) or (2) above, or in what manner, any joint function of theirs under the Act of 1977 relating to that Committee is to be performed.

(7) Sections 126 and 127 of the Act of 1977 (exercise of, and Parliamentary control over, powers to make subordinate instruments) shall apply as if this section were contained in that Act.

(8) Expressions used in this section and the Act of 1977 have the same meaning in this section as they have in that Act.