Assignments to closed lists: determinations of the assessment panel
32.—(1) This paragraph applies where most or all of the providers of essential services (or their equivalent) whose practice premises are within the area of a Health Board have closed their lists of patients.
(2) If the Health Board wishes to assign new patients to contractors which have closed their lists of patients, it must prepare a proposal to be considered by the assessment panel, and the proposal must include details of those contractors to which the Health Board wishes to assign patients.
(3) The Health Board must ensure that an assessment panel is appointed by another Health Board to consider and determine its proposal made under sub‑paragraph (2).
(4) The Health Board must notify in writing—
(a)contractors or section 17C providers whose practice premises are within the Health Board’s area which—
(i)have closed their list of patients; and
(ii)may, in the opinion of the Health Board, be affected by the determination of the assessment panel; and
(b)the area medical committee (if any) for the area of the Health Board,
that it has referred the matter to the assessment panel.
(5) In reaching its determination, the assessment panel must have regard to relevant factors including—
(a)whether the Health Board has attempted to secure the provision of essential services (or their equivalent) for new patients other than by means of their assignment to contractors with closed lists of patients; and
(b)the workload of those contractors likely to be affected by any decision to assign such patients to their list of patients.
(6) The assessment panel must reach a determination within the period of 28 days beginning with the date on which the panel was appointed.
(7) The assessment panel must determine whether the Health Board may assign patients to contractors which have closed their lists of patients; and if it determines that the Health Board may make such assignments, it must also determine those contractors to which patients may be assigned.
(8) The assessment panel may determine that the Health Board may assign patients to contractors other than those contractors specified by the Health Board in its proposal under sub‑paragraph (2), as long as the contractors were notified under sub‑paragraph (4)(a).
(9) The assessment panel’s determination must include its comments on the matters specified in sub‑paragraph (5), and must be notified in writing to those contractors which were notified under sub‑paragraph (4)(a).
(10) Any decision or determination by the assessment panel for the purposes of this paragraph may be reached by a majority.