Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003

9 Dispute resolution

(1) Regulations may make provision for panels appointed by Strategic Health Authorities in England and by Local Health Boards in Wales to assist in the resolution of disputes between two or more public authorities about matters arising under or in relation to this Part.

(2) The persons forming a panel for the purpose of a particular dispute must be appointed by a Strategic Health Authority or Local Health Board from lists of persons required by the regulations to be kept by the Authority or Board.

(3) The regulations must contain such provision as the appropriate Minister considers appropriate for ensuring that each social services authority situated (or any part of whose area is situated) in the area of a Strategic Health Authority or a Local Health Board is consulted about the persons whose names appear on any list kept by the Authority or Board for the purposes of subsection (2).

(4) The regulations may make provision about the panels, including in particular—

(a) provision for determining who is to appoint a panel in the case of a dispute between public authorities which are not all situated in the area of a single Strategic Health Authority or Local Health Board;

(b) provision specifying the descriptions of disputes which may be referred to a panel;

(c) provision about the recommendations (including recommendations relating to the payment of any amount by one party to another) which may be made by a panel in relation to any dispute referred to it.

(5) Regulations may prohibit a public authority from bringing legal proceedings against another public authority in relation to a dispute before such steps have been taken in relation to a panel appointed by virtue of this section as may be prescribed in the regulations.

(6) For the purposes of this section “public authority” means an NHS body or a social services authority.