Part 5Dental services

General dental services contracts

60GDS contracts: payments

1

The Welsh Ministers may give directions as to payments to be made under general dental services contracts.

2

A general dental services contract must require payments to be made under the contract in accordance with directions under this section.

3

A direction under subsection (1) may in particular—

a

provide for payments to be made by reference to compliance with standards or the achievement of levels of performance,

b

provide for payments to be made by reference to—

i

any scheme or scale specified in the direction, or

ii

a determination made by any person in accordance with factors specified in the direction,

c

provide for the making of payments in respect of individual practitioners,

d

provide that the whole or any part of a payment is subject to conditions (and may provide that payments are payable by a Local Health Board only if it is satisfied as to certain conditions),

e

make provision having effect from a date before the date of the direction, provided that, having regard to the direction as a whole, the provision is not detrimental to the persons to whose remuneration it relates.

4

Before giving a direction under subsection (1), the Welsh Ministers—

a

must consult any body appearing to them to be representative of persons to whose remuneration the direction would relate, and

b

may consult such other persons as they consider appropriate.

5

“Payments” includes fees, allowances, reimbursements, loans and repayments.