The General Ophthalmic Services Contracts Regulations 2008

Co-operation with investigations

26.—(1) The contractor shall co-operate with—

(a) any investigation of a complaint in relation to any matter reasonably connected with the provision for services under the contract undertaken by—

(i) the PCT; and

(ii) the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection; and

(b) any investigation of a complaint by an NHS body or local authority which relates to a patient or former patient of the contractor.

(2) In sub-paragraph (1)—

“NHS body” means a Primary Care Trust, an NHS trust, an NHS foundation trust, a Strategic Health Authority, a Local Health Board, a Health Board, a Health and Social Services Board, a Health and Social Services Trust or a Health Board or Special Health Board constituted under section 2 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978(1); and

“local authority” means—

(a)

any of the bodies listed in section 1 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (2)(local authority);

(b)

the Council of the Isles of Scilly; or

(c)

a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994(3) (constitution of councils).

(3) The co-operation required by sub-paragraph (1) includes—

(a) answering questions reasonably put to the contractor by the PCT;

(b) providing any information relating to the complaint reasonably required by the PCT; and

(c) attending any meeting to consider the complaint (if held at a reasonably accessible place and at a reasonable hour, and due notice has been given) if the contractor’s presence at the meeting is reasonably required by the PCT.

(1)

1978 c.29.

(2)

1970 c. 42; s. 1 was amended by the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), s. 170.

(3)

1994 c. 39.