The National Health Service (Determination of Districts) (No.2) Order 1993

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the National Health Service (Determination of Districts) (No. 2) Order 1993 and shall come into force on 1st October 1993.

(2) In this Order—

“the Act” means the National Health Service Act 1977;

“the material date” means 1st October 1993;

“the new authorities” means Berkshire Health Authority, North Cheshire Health Authority, Sefton Health Authority and South and East Cheshire Health Authority, being in each case an authority established by the National Health Service (District Health Authorities) (No. 2) Order 1993(1);

“the old authorities” means Crewe Health Authority, East Berkshire Health Authority, Halton Health Authority, Macclesfield Health Authority, Southport and Formby Health Authority, South Sefton (Merseyside) Health Authority, Warrington Health Authority and West Berkshire Health Authority, the establishment of each of which was continued by the National Health Service (District Health Authorities) Order 1990(2);

“the 1981 Order” means the National Health Service (Determination of Districts) Order 1981(3);

“the relevant new authority”—

(a)

as respects the old authorities Crewe Health Authority and Macclesfield Health Authority, means South and East Cheshire Health Authority;

(b)

as respects the old authorities East Berkshire Health Authority and West Berkshire Health Authority, means Berkshire Health Authority;

(c)

as respects the old authorities Halton Health Authority and Warrington Health Authority, means North Cheshire Health Authority;

(d)

as respects the old authorities Southport and Formby Health Authority and South Sefton (Merseyside) Health Authority, means Sefton Health Authority.

Variation of districts

2.—(1) Crewe District, East Berkshire District, Halton District, Macclesfield District, Southport and Formby District, South Sefton (Merseyside) District, Warrington District and West Berkshire District are hereby abolished.

(2) Buckinghamshire District is varied so as to include, in the district of South Bucks in the county of Buckinghamshire, the parishes of Burnham, Dorney, Farnham Royal, Fulmer, Hedgerley, Iver, Stoke Poges, Taplow and Wexham.

(3) Oxfordshire District is varied so as to include, in the district of South Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, the parishes of Bix, Checkendon, Eye and Dunsden, Goring, Goring Heath, Harpsden, Henley-on-Thames, Highmoor, Ipsden, Kidmore End, Mapledurham, Nettlebed, Nuffield, Pishill with Stonor, Rotherfield Greys, Rotherfield Peppard, Shiplake, Sonning Common, South Stoke, Stoke Row, Swyncombe, Whitchurch and Woodcote.

(4) There are determined 4 new districts to be known as—

(a) Berkshire District, comprising—

(i) the former East Berkshire District, but excluding, in the district of South Bucks in the county of Buckinghamshire, the parishes listed in paragraph (2) of this article, and

(ii) the former West Berkshire District, but excluding, in the district of South Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, the parishes listed in paragraph (3) of this article;

(b) North Cheshire District, comprising the former Halton District and the former Warrington District;

(c) Sefton District, comprising the former Southport and Formby District and the former South Sefton (Merseyside) District;

(d) South and East Cheshire District comprising the former Crewe District and the former Macclesfield District.

(5) In Part I of Schedule 1 to the 1981 Order—

(a) the entries in columns (1), (2) and (3) relating to Buckinghamshire District, Crewe District, East Berkshire District, Halton District, Macclesfield District, Oxfordshire District, Southport and Formby District, South Sefton (Merseyside) District, Warrington District and West Berkshire District are omitted;

(b) at the appropriate point there are inserted in columns (1), (2) and (3) the entries set out in columns (1), (2) and (3) respectively of the Schedule to this Order.

(6) In paragraph (5)(b) of this article “the appropriate point” means—

(a) in relation to Berkshire District, after the entries relating to Winchester District;

(b) in relation to Buckinghamshire District, after the entries relating to Berkshire District;

(c) in relation to North Cheshire District, after the entries relating to Chester District;

(d) in relation to Oxfordshire District, after the entries relating to Northampton District;

(e) in relation to Sefton District, after the entries relating to North Cheshire District;

(f) in relation to South and East Cheshire District, after the entries relating to Sefton District.

Transfer of officers employed by old authorities

3.—(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2) of this article, any officer employed immediately before the material date by any of the old authorities is transferred on the material date to the employment of the relevant new authority, and the contract of employment of that officer is modified so as to substitute as the employer the relevant new authority.

(2) Where—

(a) this article makes provision for the transfer of an officer, and

(b) the officer in question is employed jointly by any of the old authorities and another person,

that provision shall have effect to transfer that officer to the employment of the relevant new authority and that other person jointly, and the contract of employment of that officer is modified so as to substitute the relevant new authority as one of the joint employers.

Preservation of training arrangements

4.  Training arrangements made by any of the old authorities under which any officer transferred by this Order is undergoing, or is to undergo, a course of training or has entered, or is going to enter, into an apprenticeship, and which have not been discharged before the material date, continue to apply with the substitution for the old authority of the relevant new authority.

Enforceability of rights

5.  Subject to the following provisions of this Order, any right which was enforceable by or against any of the old authorities is enforceable by or against the relevant new authority.

Winding up of affairs of old authorities

6.  It is the duty of each new authority to take, in accordance with such directions as may be given by the Regional Health Authority in whose region the district of the new authority is situated, such action as may be necessary for the winding up of the affairs of any old authority in relation to which it is the relevant new authority.

Accounts of old authorities

7.  Any duty imposed on any of the old authorities by section 98(4) of the Act, but not performed by the material date, shall be performed by the relevant new authority in accordance with the provisions of that section and any directions which may be given by the Secretary of State.

Provision for continuity in exercise of functions

8.—(1) Anything duly done by, or any application duly made by, or any direction, authorisation or notice duly given to or by, any of the old authorities is deemed to have been duly done by, or made by or given to or by, the relevant new authority.

(2) Any instrument made by any of the old authorities continues in force, unless it is expressed to cease to be in force sooner, until it is varied or revoked by the relevant new authority.

(3) Any form supplied by any of the old authorities and any form supplied by the Secretary of State relating to any of the old authorities continues to be a valid form in relation to the relevant new authority until it is cancelled or withdrawn by the Secretary of State or, as the case may be, the relevant new authority, as if any reference contained in the form to any of the old authorities were a reference to the relevant new authority.

Accommodation and services made available on payment of charges

9.  To the extent that any accommodation and services at any hospital in the district of any of the old authorities are, immediately before the material date, determined to be made available under section 65(5) of the Act, they continue to be determined to be made available under that section, to the extent determined by that old authority, on or after that date until such authorisation is varied or revoked by the relevant new authority.

Investigation of complaints by Health Service Commissioner

10.—(1) A complaint made under Part V of the Act to the Health Service Commissioner for England in relation to any of the old authorities, whether made before, on or after the material date, may be investigated by that Commissioner, notwithstanding the abolition of that authority, as if the complaint had been made in relation to the relevant new authority.

(2) The Health Service Commissioner for England, where he conducts such an investigation, shall send a report of the result of his investigation to the relevant new authority and to the Regional Health Authority in whose region the district of that new authority is situated.

Transfer of trust property of old authorities

11.  Any trust property vested immediately before the material date in any of the old authorities shall on the material date be transferred to the relevant new authority.

Exercise of powers in relation to trusts

12.  Where, immediately before the material date, any power to appoint trustees of a charity connected with purposes relating to the health service(6) is under the trusts of the charity vested in any of the old authorities, that power vests on the material date in the relevant new authority.

Appointment of new trustees

13.  Where, under the trusts of a charity connected with health service purposes, the trustees immediately before the material date include a person who is a trustee by virtue of his office with any of the old authorities, the trustees shall from that date instead include the holder of the corresponding office with the relevant new authority.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health

Tom Sackville

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of Health

9th September 1993