The Health Services (Choice of Medical Practitioner) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Transfer of doctors between provision of general medical services and performance of personal medical services

7.—(1) Where a person has chosen a doctor from whom he is to receive general medical services and–

(a) his name is included in the doctor’s list of that doctor; or

(b) he has been accepted for inclusion of his name in that doctor’s list,

he shall, subject to regulation 3(1) and his right to withdraw from a doctor’s list under regulation 22(1) of the GMS Regulations, continue to be included in the doctor’s list of his chosen doctor notwithstanding that the doctor ceases to provide general medical services, in the circumstances specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The circumstances are where the doctor–

(a) immediately starts to perform personal medical services in connection with a pilot scheme and one of the parties to that pilot scheme is a board which previously made arrangements with the doctor for provision of general medical services; and

(b) is primarily responsible for the performance of personal medical services under the pilot scheme.

(3) Where a person has chosen a doctor from whom he is to receive personal medical services and–

(a) his name is included in the doctor’s list of that doctor; or

(b) he has been accepted for inclusion of his name in that doctor’s list,

he shall, subject to regulation 3(1) and his right to withdraw from a doctor’s list under directions given under Article 8(1) of the 1997 Order(1), continue to be included in the doctor’s list of his chosen doctor notwithstanding that the doctor ceases to perform personal medical services, if the doctor immediately starts to provide general medical services by virtue of an arrangement made with him by the board which was a party to the pilot scheme in connection with which he previously performed personal medical services.

(1)

See the directions to Health and Social Services Boards and the Central Services Agency concerning patient lists (personal medical services), given by the Department of Health and Social Services on 19th November 1998