11.—(1) A contractor must ensure that for each of its registered patients aged 75 and over there is assigned an accountable general medical practitioner (“accountable GP”).
(2) The accountable GP must—
(a)take lead responsibility for ensuring that any services which the contractor is required to provide under the contract are, to the extent that their provision is considered necessary to meet the needs of the patient, delivered to the patient;
(b)take all reasonable steps to recognise and appropriately respond to the physical and psychological needs of the patient in a timely manner;
(c)ensure that the patient receives a health check if, and within a reasonable period after, one has been requested; and
(d)work co-operatively with such other health and social care professionals who may become involved in the care and treatment of the patient to ensure the delivery of a multi-disciplinary care package designed to meet the needs of the patient.
(3) The contractor must—
(a)inform the patient, in such manner as is considered appropriate by the contractor's practice, of the assignment to the patient of an accountable GP;
(b)provide the patient with the name and contact details of the accountable GP and information regarding the role and responsibilities of the accountable GP in respect of the patient;
(c)inform the patient as soon as any circumstances arise in which the accountable GP is not able, for any significant period, to carry out the duties of an accountable GP in respect of the patient; and
(d)where the contractor's practice considers it to be necessary, assign a replacement accountable GP to the patient and inform the patient accordingly.
(4) The contractor must comply with the requirement in sub-paragraph (3)(a)—
(a)in the case of any person aged 75 or over who is accepted by the contractor as a registered patient on or after the date on which these Regulations come into force, before the end of the period of 21 days beginning with the date on which that person was so accepted; or
(b)in the case of any person who is included in the contractor's list of patients immediately before the date on which these Regulations come into force who attains the age of 75 or over on or after that date, before the end of the period of 21 days after the date on which that person attained that age.
(5) In this paragraph, “health check” means a consultation undertaken by the contactor which is of the type which a contractor is required to undertake at a patient's request under paragraph 10(1).