The General Medical Services (Transitional and Other Ancillary Provisions) (Scotland) Order 2004

Out of hours services in GMS contracts to patients of exempt contractors who have entered into a default contract

20.—(1) Where a GMS contract is with–

(a) an individual medical practitioner who was on 31st March 2004 responsible for providing services during all or part of the out of hours period to the patients of a medical practitioner who meets the requirements in paragraph (2);

(b) a partnership in which at least one of the partners was on 31st March 2004, a medical practitioner responsible for providing such services to such patients; or

(c) a company in which one or more of the shareholders was on 31st March 2004, a medical practitioner responsible for providing such services to such patients,

the GMS contract with that GMS contractor must require it to continue to provide such services to the patients of the exempt contractor until the happening of one of the events in paragraph (3).

(2) The requirements referred to in paragraph 1(a) are that–

(a) the medical practitioner was relieved of responsibility for providing services to the practitioner’s patients under paragraph 17(2) of Schedule 1 to the 1992 Regulations; and

(b) the medical practitioner–

(i) has entered or intends to enter into a default contract which does not include out of hours services pursuant to article 19(1)(a); or

(ii) is a partner in a partnership which has entered or intends to enter into a default contract which does not include out of hours services pursuant to article 19(1)(b).

(3) The events referred to in paragraph (1) are–

(a) the exempt contractor’s default contract has come to an end and not been succeeded by a GMS contract which does not include out of hours services pursuant to regulation 30(1)(b) of the 2004 Regulations;

(b) the GMS contractor has opted out of the provision of out of hours services in accordance with paragraph 4 or 5 of Schedule 2 to the 2004 Regulations; or

(c) the Health Board (and, if it is different, the Health Board with which the exempt contractor holds its contract) has or have agreed in writing that the GMS contractor need no longer provide some or all of those services to some or all of those patients.

(4) In this article “exempt contractor” means a contractor who is exempt from providing out of hours services pursuant to article 19(1)(a) or (b).