After section 69 of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert—

“Transfer schemes

69ATransfer schemes: NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts

(1)

NHS England may make one or more schemes for the transfer of property, rights and liabilities from a relevant NHS body to another relevant NHS body on an application made to it under this section.

(2)

The application must—

(a)

be made jointly by the relevant NHS bodies, and

(b)

state the property, rights or liabilities to be transferred.

(3)

NHS England may grant an application under this section only if it is satisfied that such steps as are necessary to prepare for the transfer have been taken.

(4)

The things that may be transferred under a transfer scheme include—

(a)

property, rights and liabilities that could not otherwise be transferred;

(b)

property acquired, and rights and liabilities arising, after the making of the scheme;

(c)

criminal liabilities.

(5)

A transfer scheme may—

(a)

create rights, or impose liabilities, in relation to property or rights transferred;

(b)

make provision about the continuing effect of things done by the transferor in respect of anything transferred;

(c)

make provision about the continuation of things (including legal proceedings) in the process of being done by, on behalf of or in relation to the transferor in respect of anything transferred;

(d)

make provision for references to the transferor in an instrument or other document in respect of anything transferred to be treated as references to the transferee;

(e)

make provision for the shared ownership or use of property;

(f)

make provision which is the same as or similar to the TUPE regulations;

(g)

make other consequential, supplementary, incidental or transitional provision.

(6)

A transfer scheme may provide—

(a)

for modifications by agreement;

(b)

for modifications to have effect from the date when the original scheme came into effect.

(7)

In this section—

(a)

references to rights and liabilities include rights and liabilities relating to a contract of employment;

(b)

references to the transfer of property include the grant of a lease.

(8)

In this section—

“relevant NHS body” means—

(a)

an NHS trust established under section 25;

(b)

an NHS foundation trust;

“the TUPE regulations” means the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/246).”