National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997

4 (1) Section 15 is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1ZA) It is the duty of each Health Authority, in accordance with regulations, to perform such functions in relation to section 28C arrangements as may be prescribed.

(1ZB) Regulations under subsection (1ZA) may, in particular—

(a) prescribe functions in relation to training;

(b) provide for appeals to the Secretary of State or a prescribed body in relation to functions prescribed by the regulations.”

(3) For subsection (1B) substitute—

“(1B) In relation to a Part II medical practitioner—

(a) whose name is included in the medical list of only one Health Authority, and

(b) who practises on his own or in partnership with others all of whom are Part II medical practitioners whose names are included only in that Authority’s medical list,

any reference in this Act or the [1990 c. 19.] National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to the relevant Health Authority is to be construed as a reference to that Authority.

(1BA) In relation to a medical practitioner who is not within subsection (1B), any reference in this Act or the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to the relevant Health Authority is to be construed as a reference to the Authority in whose area most of the practice patients live.”

(4) After subsection (1C) insert—

“(1D) In this section—

• “Part II medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner who provides general medical services under Part II and does not perform personal medical services under section 28C arrangements; and

• “practice patient” means—

  (a)

  in relation to a medical practitioner who practises otherwise than in partnership, an individual who is on that practitioner’s list of patients (or, if that practitioner and one or more other medical practitioners together have a single list of patients in connection with section 28C arrangements, an individual who is on that single list);

  (b)

  in relation to a medical practitioner who is one of two or more practitioners who practise in partnership with each other, an individual who is on the list of patients of any of those practitioners (or, if any of those practitioners together have a single list of patients in connection with section 28C arrangements, an individual who is on that single list).”