The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to the Provision of Primary Care Services During a Pandemic etc.) Regulations 2020

New regulation 102A

8.  After regulation 102 (terms of service for LPS schemes: general), insert—

“Suspension of terms of schemes or of enforcement of terms of schemes while a disease is or in anticipation of a disease being imminently pandemic etc.

102A.— (1) Any term that is part of an LPS scheme as a consequence of action taken under regulation 102 or by agreement between the parties is temporarily not part of that scheme, in the particular circumstances mentioned in sub-paragraph (c)(ii) and during the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (c)(iii), in the following circumstances—

(a) as a consequence of a disease being, or in anticipation of a disease being imminently—

(i) pandemic, and

(ii) a serious risk or potentially a serious risk to human health,

the NHSCB with the agreement of the Secretary of State has made an announcement in respect of the prioritisation of services to be provided in, or in any part of, England as part of the health service;

(b) the prioritisation is in order to assist in the management of the serious risk or potentially serious risk to human health;

(c) as part of the announcement, the NHSCB with the agreement of the Secretary of State has issued advice to the effect that LPS contractors are not to comply with a specified type of term of LPS schemes—

(i) in the area to which the announcement relates,

(ii) in the circumstances specified in the announcement, and

(iii) during the period specified in the announcement; and

(d) the LPS contractor is situated in the area to which the announcement relates and compliance with the term (it being of the specified type) would, but for the effect of this paragraph, be a requirement of the LPS scheme of the LPS contractor.

(2) The NHSCB must not take enforcement action, as provided for in an LPS scheme, in respect of a breach of a term of the LPS scheme in the following circumstances—

(a) as a consequence of a disease being, or in anticipation of a disease being imminently—

(i) pandemic, and

(ii) a serious risk or potentially a serious risk to human health,

the NHSCB with the agreement of the Secretary of State has made an announcement in respect of the prioritisation of services to be provided in, or in any part of, England as part of the health service;

(b) the prioritisation is in order to assist in the management of the serious risk or potentially serious risk to human health;

(c) as part of the announcement, the NHSCB with the agreement of the Secretary of State has issued advice to the effect that LPS contractors need not comply with a specified type of term of an LPS scheme—

(i) in the area to which the announcement relates,

(ii) in the circumstances specified in the announcement, and

(iii) during the period specified in the announcement; and

(d) the LPS contractor—

(i) is situated in the area to which the announcement relates, and

(ii) has not complied with the term (it being of the specified type) in the particular circumstances mentioned in sub-paragraph (c)(ii) and during the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (c)(iii).”.