National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1972

2 Provision of accommodation and medical, etc., services

(1) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to provide throughout Scotland, to such extent as he considers necessary to meet all reasonable requirements, accommodation and services of the following descriptions—

(a) hospital accommodation, including accommodation at State hospitals within the meaning of section 89 of the [1960 c. 61.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 ;

(b) premises other than hospitals at which facilities are available for any of the services provided under the Health Service Acts;

(c) medical, nursing and other services, whether in such accommodation or premises, in the home of the patient or elsewhere.

(2) Where accommodation or premises provided under this section afford facilities for the provision of general medical, dental or ophthalmic services or of pharmaceutical services, they shall be made available for those services on such terms and conditions as the Secretary of State may determine.

(3) The Secretary of State may permit any person to whom this subsection applies to use the facilities available at accommodation or premises provided under this section for the purposes of private practice on such terms and conditions as the Secretary of State may determine.

(4) The persons to whom subsection (3) above applies, being persons who provide services under the Health Service Acts, are as follows—

(a) medical practitioners;

(b) dental practitioners;

(c) pharmacists;

(d) ophthalmic and dispensing opticians ; and

(e) such other persons as the Secretary of State may determine.