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

Amendment of the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986

8.  In the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986(1), in paragraph 8C of Schedule 1 (complaints against ophthalmic medical practitioners)(2), after sub-paragraph (2) insert the following sub-paragraphs—

“(3) Where a contractor, being an ophthalmic medical practitioner, also performs personal medical services in connection with a pilot scheme under the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 (“the 1997 Act”) for any person to whom he provides general ophthalmic services, the complaints procedure established and operated in accordance with directions under section 6(1) of the 1997 Act as to complaints procedures for pilot schemes(3) shall apply in relation to any matter reasonably connected with his provision of general ophthalmic services to that person, as it applies as respects his performance of personal medical services under the pilot scheme.

(4) Accordingly, any requirement imposed by virtue of such directions on a person providing personal medical services under such a pilot scheme as to co-operation with any investigation of a complaint by the Health Authority also applies in relation to complaints about such matters.”.

(1)

S.I. 1986/975. The relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1996/705.

(2)

Paragraph 8C was inserted by S.I. 1996/705, regulation 8(6).

(3)

See the Directions to Health Authorities Concerning the Implementation of Pilot Schemes (Personal Medical Services), paragraph 25 and Schedule 3.