29.—(1) In Article 56 of the principal Order (general medical services)—
(a)in paragraph (2), sub-paragraph (d) (right of certain medical practitioners to be included in list of practitioners undertaking to provide general medical services other than maternity medical services) shall cease to have effect;
(b)in paragraph (2A) the words “be entitled to” shall cease to have effect;
(c)after paragraph (2A) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—
“(2B) The Department may by order specify the maximum number of medical practitioners with whom, in any year, all the Health and Social Services Boards, taken as a whole, may enter into arrangements under this Article; and any such order may contain such incidental and consequential provisions (including provisions amending this Part) as appear to the Department to be appropriate.”.
(2) In Article 107(1) of the principal Order (orders subject to negative resolution) after the words “Article 16(1)” there shall be inserted “, 56(2B)”.
30.—(1) Article 61 of the principal Order (arrangements for general dental services) shall be amended in accordance with this Article.
(2) In paragraph (2)(b) (regulations to include provision conferring a right, subject to certain qualifications, to be entered on a list of dental practitioners providing general dental services) for the words “paragraph (2A)” there shall be substituted “paragraphs (2A) and (2AA)”.
(3) After paragraph (2A) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—
“(2AA) Regulations may make the exercise of the right conferred by virtue of sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (2) subject to any provision made by or under the regulations, and, in such cases as may be prescribed, may confer a right of appeal to a prescribed body in respect of a refusal to include a dental practitioner on such a list as is referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph.”.
31.—(1) In Article 63 of the principal Order (arrangements for pharmaceutical services)—
(a)in paragraph (1)—
(i)for the word “supply” there shall be substituted “provision”;
(ii)at the end of sub-paragraph (b) there shall be inserted
“and
(c)such services as may be prescribed;”;
(iii)“for the words services provided in accordance with the arrangements are” there shall be substituted “provision of drugs, medicines, appliances and services in accordance with the arrangements is”;
(b)in paragraph (2) after the word “mentioned” in the second place where it occurs there shall be inserted “, or to whom services mentioned in paragraph (1)(c) are to be provided”;
(c)in paragraphs (2A)(b), (c) and (d) and (2B) before the word “services” in each place where it occurs there shall be inserted “pharmaceutical”;
(d)in paragraph (2B)(d) for the words “a prescribed criterion” there shall be substituted “prescribed criteria”.
(2) Article 64 of the principal Order (persons authorised to provide pharmaceutical services) shall be renumbered as paragraph (1) of that Article and after that paragraph there shall be added the following paragraph—
“(2) No arrangements for the provision of pharmaceutical services falling within Article 63(1)(c) shall be made with persons other than those who are pharmacists or are of a prescribed description.”.