The National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 (“the 1995 Regulations”) which regulate the terms on which general medical services are provided under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (“the Act”).

Regulation 2 inserts a new regulation 35B into the 1995 Regulations. This regulation enables a Health Board to establish one or more general medical services local development schemes (“LDSs”), provided it has been designated as a determining authority by the Secretary of State and the remuneration is of a description designated by the Secretary of State for that purpose under section 85(1AA)(b) of the Act.

The new Regulation 35B also requires a Health Board to make payments in accordance with the determination for each financial year to doctors on its medical list who qualify; and to publish certain information about the LDSs established in its area.

Regulation 2(3) makes a consequential amendment to regulation 36 of the 1995 Regulations.

Regulation 2(4) and the Schedule insert a new Schedule 8A to the 1995 Regulations, which makes further provision about LDSs. In particular, Schedule 8A defines an LDS and provides that the Health Board must be satisfied or specified criteria before it can establish an LDS. It provides that LDSs cannot be used to duplicate any payment for which provision is made in the Statement referred to in regulation 35(1) of the 1995 Regulations, but may be used to make payments in addition to payments made under the Statement.