Cases where no decision has been made before the relevant date as to whether disciplinary action should be taken (regulation 4 of the Service Committees Regulations)
71.—(1) Where, before the relevant date, or on or after the relevant date in respect of a matter that occurred before the relevant date, a Local Health Board receives, or has received information that could amount to an allegation that a doctor had failed to comply with his or her terms of service and—
(a)that Local Health Board, or its reference committee (as the case may be), has not taken a final decision pursuant to regulation 4(1) of the Service Committees Regulations before the relevant date as to whether it will take no action or take one or both of the courses of action set out in regulation 4(2) of the Service Committees Regulations; and
(b)any time limit specified in regulation 6 of the Service Committees Regulations has not expired,
paragraph (2) shall apply.
(2) Where this paragraph applies, the Local Health Board shall—
(a)if it is the appropriate Local Health Board, continue to be the appropriate Local Health Board for the purposes of the Service Committees Regulations, and consider and take such action as it sees fit pursuant to the Service Committees Regulations, subject to article 74, as if the amendments to regulations 2 to 8 and Schedules 2 and 4 had not taken effect; or
(b)if it is not the appropriate Local Health Board, forward the information to that Trust as soon as is reasonably practicable, and that Trust shall consider the information received and take such action as it sees fit pursuant to the Service Committees Regulations, subject to the time limits specified in the Service Committees Regulations, and article 74, as if the amendments to regulations 2 to 8 and Schedules 2 and 4 had not taken effect.
(3) If the appropriate Local Health Board, or its reference committee, decides, pursuant to paragraph (2)(a) or (b), to refer the matter to the discipline committee of another Local Health Board (B) in accordance with regulation 4(2)(a) or (7)—
(a)that Local Health Board (B) shall investigate the matter and report to the appropriate Local Health Board as if the amendments to regulations 2 to 8 and Schedules 2 and 4 had not taken effect; and
(b)the appropriate Local Health Board shall be entitled, subject to article 74, to take any action it could have taken pursuant to the Service Committees Regulations as if those amendments had not taken effect.