The National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992

Change of doctor

22.—(1) A person who is on a doctor’s list of patients may apply to any other doctor providing general medical services for acceptance on that other doctor’s list of patients.

(2) An application for the purposes of paragraph (1) shall be made in accordance with regulation 20.

(3) A person who has made an application under paragraph (1) and has been refused acceptance by any doctor may apply to the FHSA in whose locality he resides for assignment to a doctor whose name is included in the FHSA’s medical list.

(4) The FHSA shall inform a doctor as soon as practicable of the removal of a patient from his list on transfer to the list of another doctor.

(5) Subject to paragraphs (6) to (8), the FHSA shall, on the death of, or on the removal or withdrawal from the medical list of the name of any doctor, notify the persons on the list of that doctor of the death, removal or withdrawal.

(6) Where a sucessor is appointed to a practice the FHSA shall, by notice in writing, inform the persons on the list of the doctor who last carried on that practice of the name of the succeessor (and, if more than one, of each of them) and of the names of any partners and of the address of their practice premises.

(7) The notice mentioned in paragraph (6) shall state that the person to whom it is given will be deemed, from the date specified in the notice, to be on the list of a named successor, unless that person within 14 days of that date gives notice in writing to the FHSA that he does not wish to be included in that list.

(8) Where no successor is to be appointed to a practice, the FHSA shall notify the persons on the list of the doctor who last carried on that practice of their right to apply to another doctor in the medical list for acceptance.

(9) A doctor who has returned to his practice at the end of a period of relevant service shall, within one month of his return, notify the FHSA in writing that he has resumed practice.

(10) Where the FHSA has been so notified it shall, within 28 days, send a notice to every person who—

(a) was on the doctor’s list at the beginning of such service; and

(b) is still residing at the address at which he was then residing and who has been transferred by reason only of the doctor’s departure on relevant service to the list of another doctor,

stating that the first doctor has resumed practice and that the person will be restored to his list unless, not later than 14 days after the date of the notice, that person gives notice in writing to the FHSA that he wishes to remain on the list of the other doctor.

(11) After the expiry of the period of 14 days mentioned in paragraph (10), the FHSA shall inform each of the other doctors concerned of the persons who are transferred from his list to the list of the first doctor and shall also inform each of those other doctors of the persons who have elected to remain on his list.

(12) Where a doctor is relieved of the obligation to provide services at certain periods under paragraph 18 of the terms of service—

(a) the FHSA shall notify the persons on his list of the fact and the terms of the relief; and

(b) if the doctor subsequently resumes responsibility for providing services at all times, the FHSA shall notify the persons on his list of the fact.

(13) Nothing in this regulation shall require the FHSA to give any notice concerning the making or termination of arrangements under regulation 25.