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

Fees, charges and financial interests

21.—(1) The contract must contain terms relating to fees, charges and financial interests which have the same effect as those set out in paragraphs (2) to (9).

(2) The contractor must not, either for itself or through any other person, demand or accept from any of its patients a fee or other remuneration for its own benefit or for the benefit of another person in respect of—

(a) the provision of any treatment whether under the contract or otherwise, or

(b) any prescription or repeatable prescription for any drug, medicine or appliance,

except in the circumstances set out in regulation 22.

(3) The contractor must not, either for itself or through any other person, demand or accept from any of its patients a fee or other remuneration for its own benefit or for the benefit of another person, for the completion, in relation to the patient’s mental health, of—

(a) the debt and mental health evidence form, or

(b) any examination of the patient or of the patient’s medical record in order to complete the form, the purpose of which is to assist creditors in deciding what action to take where the debtor has a mental health problem.

(4) The contractor must not, either for itself or through any other person, demand or accept from any of its patients a fee or other remuneration for its own benefit or for the benefit of another person, for the preparation or provision of—

(a) evidence that the individual is, or is at risk of being, a victim of domestic abuse which is intended to support an application by the individual for civil legal services, or

(b) any other evidence that the individual is, or is at risk of being, a victim of domestic abuse which is of a description specified in regulations made by the Welsh Ministers or Secretary of State.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), where—

(a) a person—

(i) applies to a contractor for the provision of unified services, and

(ii) claims to be on that contractor’s list of patients, and

(b) the contractor has reasonable doubts about that person’s claim,

the contractor must give any necessary treatment to that person and may demand and accept from that person a reasonable fee in accordance with regulation 22(e).

(6) Where—

(a) a person from whom the contractor has received a fee under regulation 22(e) applies to the Local Health Board for a refund within 14 days beginning with the date of the payment of the fee (or within such longer period not exceeding 4 weeks as the Local Health Board may allow if it is satisfied that the failure to apply within 14 days was reasonable); and

(b) the Local Health Board is satisfied that that person was on the contractor’s list of patients when the treatment was given,

the Local Health Board may recover the amount of the fee from the contractor, by deduction from the contractor’s remuneration or otherwise, and must pay the amount recovered to the person who paid the fee.

(7) The contractor must in the provision of services to patients under the contract—

(a) provide information regarding services it provides otherwise than under the contract only where appropriate and in accordance with the restriction on advertising private services in paragraph 134 of Schedule 3,

(b) where it does provide such information, ensure that the information provided is fair and accurate, and

(c) where the other services are available to the patient as part of the health service established under section 1(1) of the Act (Welsh Ministers’ duty to promote health service), to inform the patient—

(i) that the services are so available,

(ii) of any charge that applies to that health service and, if no such charge applies, that the service is free, and

(iii) how to access that health service.

(8) The contractor must in making a decision—

(a) to refer a patient for other services under the Act, or

(b) to prescribe any drug, medicine or appliance to a patient,

make that decision without regard to its own financial interests.

(9) The contractor must not inform patients that any prescription for any drug, medicine or appliance must be dispensed only by the contractor or by a person with whom the contractor is associated.