Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972

Provision of accommodation and medical services, etc.N.I.

5.—(1) The Ministry shall provide throughout Northern Ireland, to such extent as it considers necessary, accommodation and services of the following descriptions—

(a)hospital accommodation, including accommodation within the meaning of[F1 Article 110 of the Mental Health Order];

(b)premises, other than hospitals, at which facilities are available for all or any of the services provided under this Order [F2or the 2009 Act];

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

(2) In addition to its functions under paragraph (1), the Ministry may provide such other accommodation and services not otherwise specifically provided for by this Order [F2or the 2009 Act] as it considers conducive to efficient and sympathetic working of any hospital or service under its control, and, in relation to any person and notwithstanding anything contained in [F3section 2(1)(a) of the 2009 Act], to provide or arrange for the provision of such accommodation or services, and in connection therewith, to incur such expenditure as is necessary or expedient on medical grounds.

(3) Where accommodation or premises provided under this Article afford facilities for the provision of[F4 primary medical services, of general] dental or ophthalmic services or of pharmaceutical services, they shall be made available for those services on such terms and conditions as the Ministry may determine.

(4) The Ministry may permit any person to whom this paragraph applies to use for the purpose of private practice, on such terms and conditions as the Ministry may determine, the facilities available at accommodation or premises provided under this Article.

(5) The persons to whom paragraph (4) applies, being persons who provide services under this Order [F2or the 2009 Act], are as follows:—

(a)medical practitioners;

[F4(aa)persons providing primary medical services under a general medical services contract or in accordance with Article 15B arrangements;]

(b)dental practitioners;

(c)ophthalmicF5. . . opticians;

(d)pharmacists; and

(e)such other persons as the Ministry may determine.