Health and Social Care Act 2012

28 Requirement for primary medical services provider to belong to clinical commissioning group

(1) In section 89 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (general medical services contracts: required terms), after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) Regulations under subsection (1) may, in particular, make provision—

(a) for requiring a contractor who provides services of a prescribed description (a “relevant contractor”) to be a member of a clinical commissioning group;

(b) as to arrangements for securing that a relevant contractor appoints one individual to act on its behalf in the dealings between it and the clinical commissioning group to which it belongs;

(c) for imposing requirements with respect to those dealings on the individual appointed for the purposes of paragraph (b);

(d) for requiring a relevant contractor, in doing anything pursuant to the contract, to act with a view to enabling the clinical commissioning group to which it belongs to discharge its functions (including its obligation to act in accordance with its constitution).

(1B) Provision by virtue of subsection (1A)(a) may, in particular, describe services by reference to the manner or circumstances in which they are performed.

(1C) In the case of a contract entered into by two or more individuals practising in partnership—

(a) regulations making provision under subsection (1A)(a) may make provision for requiring each partner to secure that the partnership is a member of the clinical commissioning group;

(b) regulations making provision under subsection (1A)(b) may make provision as to arrangements for securing that the partners make the appointment;

(c) regulations making provision under subsection (1A)(d) may make provision for requiring each partner to act as mentioned there.

(1D) Regulations making provision under subsection (1A) for the case of a contract entered into by two or more individuals practising in partnership may make provision as to the effect of a change in the membership of the partnership.

(1E) The regulations may require an individual appointed for the purposes of subsection (1A)(b)—

(a) to be a member of a profession regulated by a body mentioned in section 25(3) of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, and

(b) to meet such other conditions as may be prescribed.”

(2) In section 94 of that Act (regulations about arrangements under section 92 of that Act for provision of primary medical services), after subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) Regulations under subsection (3)(d) may—

(a) require a person who provides services of a prescribed description in accordance with section 92 arrangements (a “relevant provider”) to be a member of a clinical commissioning group;

(b) make provision as to arrangements for securing that a relevant provider appoints one individual to act on its behalf in dealings between it and the clinical commissioning group to which it belongs;

(c) impose requirements with respect to those dealings on the individual appointed for the purposes of paragraph (b);

(d) require a relevant provider, in doing anything pursuant to section 92 arrangements, to act with a view to enabling the clinical commissioning group to which it belongs to discharge its functions (including its obligation to act in accordance with its constitution).

(3B) Provision by virtue of subsection (3A)(a) may, in particular, describe services by reference to the manner or circumstances in which they are performed.

(3C) In the case of an agreement made with two or more persons—

(a) regulations making provision under subsection (3A)(a) may require each person to secure that the persons collectively are a member of the clinical commissioning group;

(b) regulations making provision under subsection (3A)(b) may make provision as to arrangements for securing that the persons collectively make the appointment;

(c) regulations making provision under subsection (3A)(d) may require each person to act as mentioned there.

(3D) Regulations making provision under subsection (3A) for the case of an agreement made with two or more persons may make provision as to the effect of a change in the composition of the group of persons involved.

(3E) The regulations may require an individual appointed for the purposes of subsection (3A)(b)—

(a) to be a member of a profession regulated by a body mentioned in section 25(3) of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, and

(b) to meet such other conditions as may be prescribed.”