The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Schedule 1 to these Regulations amends the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1862) (“the GMS Contracts Regulations”) and Schedule 2 to these Regulations amends the National Health Service (Personal Medical Services Agreements) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1879) (“the PMS Agreements Regulations”).

The GMS Contracts Regulations and the PMS Agreements Regulations respectively make provision in respect of services provided under a general medical services contract and a personal medical services agreement made pursuant to Part 4 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41). They apply to England only.

The GMS Contracts Regulations and the PMS Agreements Regulations are amended respectively so as to:

(a) remove references to medical cards (see paragraphs 1 to 3 of Schedule 1 and paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2);

(b) correct errors in provisions relating to the disclosure of pay by NHS jobholders (see paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 3 of Schedule 2);

(c) require contractors to notify both existing patients and persons in the process of registering as a patient about the online services provided by the practice, including their ability to access all their medical records, and to be in a position to offer those services to those persons by 31st October 2023 at the latest and make related amendments (see paragraphs 5 to 8 of Schedule 1 and paragraphs 5 to 8 of Schedule 2);

(d) require contractors to obtain new telephone services from a supplier specified in the Advanced Telephony Better Purchasing framework (see paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 9 of Schedule 2);

(e) where patients contact a practice, require contractors to arrange for the patients’ concerns and queries to be dealt with expeditiously, including the arrangement of appointments where that is appropriate (see paragraph 10 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 10 of Schedule 2).

In addition, paragraphs 4 and 11 of Schedule 2 amend the PMS Agreements Regulations to make amendments consequential on the Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31).

Regulation 4 revokes the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/436).

A full Impact Assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.