The National Health Service (General Medical Services Supplementary Lists) (Scotland) Regulations 2003

Services to patients

4.—(1) Subject to paragraphs 3, 5 and 10, a practitioner shall provide to the principal’s patients all necessary and appropriate medical services of the type usually provided by general medical practitioners.

(2) The services which a practitioner is required by sub-paragraph (1) to provide shall include–

(a) the administration of anaesthetics or the provision of any other assistance at an operation performed by, and of the kind usually performed by, a general medical practitioner;

(b) where appropriate, giving advice personally to patients, either individually or in groups, relating to their general health, and in particular on the significance of diet, exercise, the use of tobacco, the consumption of alcohol and the misuse of drugs and solvents;

(c) offering to patients consultations and where appropriate, physical examinations for the purpose of identifying, or reducing the risk of, disease or injury;

(d) offering to patients, where appropriate, vaccination or immunisation against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Pertussis, Poliomyelitis, Diphtheria and Tetanus;

(e) arranging for the referral of patients, as appropriate, for the provision of any other services provided under the Act; and

(f) giving advice, as appropriate, to enable patients to avail themselves of social work services provided by a local authority.

(3) A practitioner shall not be required under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) to provide to any person–

(a) services which involve the application of such special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general medical practitioners as a class cannot reasonably be expected to possess;

(b) the administration of an anaesthetic at an operation performed by a medical practitioner in the course of providing maternity medical services; or

(c) child health surveillance services or minor surgery services unless the practitioner has previously applied for and been authorised to assist in the provision of such services.

(4) In the case of emergency, the practitioner is required to render whatever services are, having regard to the circumstances, in the best interest of the patient.

(5) In determining whether a particular service involves the application of such special skill and experience as aforesaid, regard is to be had to the question whether services of the kind are or are not usually undertaken by general medical practitioners practising in the area in which the question arose.