The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Wales) Regulations 2023

Prospective

Unified services E+W

17.—(1) For the purposes of section 43(1) of the Act (requirement to provide certain primary medical services), the services which must, except in circumstances where regulation 18(7) or paragraph 124 of Schedule 3 applies, be provided under a general medical services contract (“unified services”) are the services described in paragraphs (3), (5), (6), (7) and (9), and Schedule 2, during the period specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The period specified in this paragraph is, in the case of—

(a) paragraphs (3), (5) and (6), at all times within core hours as is appropriate to meet the reasonable needs of its patients, and

(b) paragraphs (7) and (9), at all times within core hours.

(3) The services described in this paragraph are services required for the management of a contractor’s registered patients and temporary residents who are or believe themselves to be—

(a) ill, with conditions from which recovery is generally expected,

(b) terminally ill, or

(c) suffering from chronic disease,

delivered in the manner determined by the contractor’s practice after consideration of relevant nationally agreed clinical guidance or pathways and in discussion with the patient.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3)—

“disease” (“clefyd”) means a disease included in the list of three-character categories contained in the latest publication of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, and

“management” (“rheoli”) includes—

(a)

offering consultation and, where appropriate, physical examination for the purpose of identifying the need, if any, for treatment or further investigation, and

(b)

the making available of such treatment or further investigation as is necessary and appropriate, including the referral of the patient for other services under the Act and liaison with other health care professionals involved in the patient’s treatment and care.

(5) The services described in this paragraph are the provision of appropriate ongoing treatment and care to all of the contractor’s registered patients and temporary residents taking into account their specific needs including—

(a) advice in connection with the patient’s health and relevant health promotion advice, and

(b) the referral of a patient for services under the Act,

together with the provision of the services specified in paragraph (6).

(6) The services mentioned in paragraph (5) are—

(a) cervical screening services,

(b) child health surveillance services,

(c) childhood vaccinations and immunisation services,

(d) contraceptive services,

(e) maternity medical services,

(f) minor surgery services, and

(g) vaccine and immunisation services.

(7) The services described in this paragraph are primary medical services required for the immediately necessary treatment of any person to whom the contractor has been requested to provide treatment owing to an accident or emergency at any place in its practice area.

(8) In paragraph (7), “emergency” includes any medical emergency whether or not related to services provided under the contract.

(9) The services described in this paragraph are primary medical services required for the immediately necessary treatment of any person falling within paragraph (10) who requests such treatment for the period specified in paragraph (11).

(10) This paragraph applies to a person if—

(a) that person’s application for inclusion in the contractor’s list of patients has been refused in accordance with paragraph 26 of Schedule 3 and that person is not registered with another provider of unified services (or their equivalent) in the area of the Local Health Board,

(b) that person’s application for acceptance as a temporary resident has been rejected in accordance with paragraph 26 of Schedule 3, or

(c) that person is present in the contractor’s practice area for less than 24 hours.

(11) The period specified in this paragraph is, in the case of a person to whom—

(a) paragraph (10)(a) applies, 14 days beginning with the date on which that person’s application was refused or until that person has been subsequently registered elsewhere for the provision of unified services (or their equivalent), whichever occurs first,

(b) paragraph (10)(b) applies, 14 days beginning with the date on which that person’s application was rejected or until that person has been subsequently accepted elsewhere as a temporary resident, whichever occurs first, and

(c) paragraph (10)(c) applies, 24 hours or such shorter period as the person is present in the contractor’s practice area.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 17 in force at 1.10.2023, see reg. 1(2)