The National Health Service (Pilot Schemes: Miscellaneous Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Part II of these Regulations makes miscellaneous provision in relation to the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 (“the 1997 Act”). The Regulations confer an additional function on Health Authorities in England and Wales and Scottish Health Boards (“authorities”), which is the function of establishing and operating procedures for dealing with complaints about the provision of personal medical services in accordance with directions made by the Secretary of State.

The Regulations also specify the circumstances in which an authority must make arrangements for the provision of general medical services (under section 29 of the National Health Service Act 1977 or section 19 of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978) for a person who is provided with personal medical services under a pilot scheme under the 1997 Act. Such arrangements must be made where the personal medical services which are provided to the person in question are limited to contraceptive services and maternity medical services and, in certain circumstances, where that person is being treated as a temporary resident.

They prescribe the categories of person who may perform personal medical services in connection with a pilot scheme (in addition to persons who are otherwise able to perform such services under section 11 of the 1997 Act). The categories are doctors who are in the course of undertaking part only of the experience prescribed by regulations relating to the vocational training of general medical practitioners and doctors whose experience has been certified as equivalent to the experience so prescribed.

Part III of these Regulations makes amendments to other secondary legislation which are consequential upon the coming into force of certain provisions of the 1997 Act.

Copies of the Directions to Health Authorities Concerning Implementation of Pilot Schemes (Personal Medical Services) which are referred to in the footnotes to regulations 4 and 8 may be obtained from:

• Primary Care Division

• Primary Care Act—Personal Medical Services Pilot Schemes

• Room 7E60

• NHS Executive Headquarters

• Quarry House

• Quarry Hill

• Leeds LS2 7UE.

Copies of the Directions to Health Boards Concerning the Implementation of Pilot Schemes (Personal Medical Services), which are referred to in the footnotes to regulation 4 may be obtained from:

• The Scottish Office

• St Andrews House

• Edinburgh EH1 1DG.

These Regulations impose no costs on business.