These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Fund-holding Practices) (Applications and Recognition) Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 17th September 1990.

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “the Act” means the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990;

• “allotted sum” has the same meaning as in section 15 of the Act;

• “application” means an application for the purposes of section 14 of the Act for recognition as a fund-holding practice;

• “practice” means a medical practitioner who, or a group of medical practitioners acting jointly and whether or not practising in partnership which, makes or proposes to make an application and “members of the practice” shall be construed accordingly;

• “relevant Family Health Services Authority” has the same meaning as in section 15(1B) of the National Health Service Act 19773;

• “relevant Regional Health Authority” has the same meaning as in section 14(3) of the Act.

Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations and any reference in a regulation to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph bearing that number in that regulation.

For the purposes of these Regulations, an application is made when it is received by the person to whom it is required to be made in accordance with regulation 3.

In these Regulations any reference to the sending of a document is a reference to the sending of a document in a pre-paid letter addressed, in the case of a medical practitioner, to him at the address given in the medical list in which he is included and, in the case of the Secretary of State or a Regional Health Authority, to them at their principal office.