The National Health Service (Pilot Schemes—Health Service Bodies) Regulations 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 16 of the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 provides for the Secretary of State to grant applications made by those who are to provide (or who are providing) services under a pilot scheme to be given the status of a health service body. The effect of having that status is that contracts entered into with other health service bodies will be NHS contracts under section 4 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 and section 17A of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

These Regulations make further provision in this connection, in relation to pilot schemes for the provision of personal medical services, specifying the procedure for applications to become a health service body, and stating the circumstances in which a health service body arising from an application is to cease to be such a body. They also make special provision in connection with contracts to clarify that the grant or loss of health service body status does not affect the status of pre-existing contracts.

These Regulations impose no costs on business.