The Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Factors relevant to assignments

34.  In making an assignment to a contractor under paragraph 32 or 33, the Board shall have regard to –

(a) the wishes and circumstances of the patient to be assigned;

(b) the distance between the patient’s place of residence and the contractor’s practice premises;

(c) whether, during the six months ending on the date on which the application for assignment is received by the Board, the patient’s name has been removed from the list of patients of any contractor in the area of the Board under paragraph 20 or its equivalent provision in relation to an Article 15B provider in the area of the Board;

(d) whether the patient’s name has been removed from the list of patients of any contractor in the area of the Board under paragraph 21 or its equivalent provision in relation to an Article 15B provider in the area of the Board and, if so, whether the contractor has appropriate facilities to deal with such a patient;

(e) such other matters as the Board considers to be relevant.