National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002

3 Directions: distribution of functions E+W

(1) The 1977 Act is amended as follows.

(2) In section 16D (Secretary of State’s directions: distribution of functions), in subsection (1), after “Special Health Authority” there is inserted “ or a Primary Care Trust ”.

(3) For section 17A (Health Authority’s directions: distribution of functions) there is substituted—

“17A Strategic Health Authority’s directions: distribution of functions

(1) A Strategic Health Authority may, in relation to any specified functions of theirs, direct a Primary Care Trust any part of whose area falls within their area to exercise those functions.

(2) But a Strategic Health Authority may not so direct a Primary Care Trust in relation to any functions of the Strategic Health Authority arising under section 28C arrangements if the Primary Care Trust is providing any services in accordance with those arrangements.

(3) The Secretary of State may direct Strategic Health Authorities that specified functions of theirs—

(a) are to be exercisable, or exercisable to (or only to) any specified extent, by Primary Care Trusts; or

(b) are not to be exercisable by Primary Care Trusts,

and that the power in subsection (1) above is to be exercised accordingly.

(4) Directions under subsection (3)(a) above may include directions that any of the specified functions are to be exercised (or exercised to or only to any specified extent) jointly with the Strategic Health Authority, or jointly by one or more Primary Care Trusts; but such directions may be given only if regulations providing for the joint exercise of those functions have been made under section 16 or 16B above.

(5) In this section, “specified” means specified in the directions.”

(4) In section 17B (Health Authority’s directions: exercise of functions), in subsection (1), the words from “which” to the end are omitted.

(5) In section 18 (directions and regulations under preceding provisions), in subsection (1A)—

(a) “or” is inserted after paragraph (a),

(b) paragraph (b) is omitted, and

(c) in paragraph (c), for “16D, 17 or 17A” there is substituted “ 16D or 17 ”.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 3 partly in force; s. 3 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 42(3); s. 3(2)(5)(a)(b) in force for E. and s. 3(1)(3) in force for certain purposes for E. at 2.9.2002 by S.I. 2002/2202, art. 3(c)-(e); s. 3(3)(4) wholly in force and s. 3(1) in force for certain purposes at 1.10.2002 by S.I. 2002/2478, art. 3(1)(b)