The National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995

Doctors available for only 4 days a week

25.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), where the Board is satisfied that, by reason of a doctor’s participation in health-related activities (other than the provision of general medical services to his patients) he would be likely to suffer an unreasonable degree of inconvenience if paragraph 24(2)(a)(iii) applied in his case, it may give its approval for the doctor to be available normally on only 4 days in any week referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(a) of that paragraph.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), “health-related activities” means activities connected with—

(a) the organisation of the medical profession or the training of its members;

(b) the provision of medical care or treatment;

(c) the improvement of the quality of such care or treatment; or

(d) the administration of services under Part I of the Act, or of arrangements pursuant to section 19 of the Act for the provision of general medical services,

and in reaching a decision as to whether any activity is a health-related activity, the Board shall have regard to the illustrative list in Part IV of Schedule 6.

(3) The Board shall not give its approval in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) if, in its opinion—

(a) the effectiveness of the doctor’s services to his patients is likely to be significantly reduced; or

(b) his patients are likely to suffer significant inconvenience,

by reason of the doctor’s having been relieved from the requirements of paragraph 24(2)(a)(iii).