Referral to discipline committee
5.—(1) Where an appropriate Health Board decides to proceed under regulation 4(2)(a) or (3) it shall, subject to paragraph (2), refer the matter to another Health Board for investigation by that Health Board’s appropriate discipline committee.
(2) The appropriate Health Board shall not refer the matter to another Health Board which has appointed any discipline committee jointly with the appropriate Health Board.
(3) Subject to paragraph (6), the appropriate discipline committee referred to in paragraph (1) is–
(a)where the matter relates to a doctor, a medical discipline committee;
(b)where the matter relates to a dentist, a dental discipline committee;
(c)where the matter relates to an ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician, an ophthalmic discipline committee;
(d)where the matter relates to a pharmacist, a pharmaceutical discipline committee.
(4) A matter which, under paragraph (1), is required to be investigated by 2 discipline committees, may instead be referred for investigation by a joint discipline committee.
(5) If, in the opinion of a discipline committee, a matter referred to it includes allegations which are required, by virtue of paragraph (1), to be investigated by another discipline committee, it shall refer the matter to the joint discipline committee instead of dealing with the matter itself.
(6) Where a matter is referred for investigation by a joint discipline committee under paragraph (4) or paragraph (5), that committee shall be the appropriate discipline committee instead of any other committee.