6.—(1) Part III (registration of persons qualifying overseas) is amended as follows.
(2) For section 19 (full registration of persons by virtue of recognised overseas qualifications) substitute—
(1) Where an exempt person satisfies the Registrar—
(a)that he holds an acceptable overseas qualification other than a primary European qualification;
(b)that he has acquired experience in the practice of medicine, whether in the course of employment in the United Kingdom or in the course of employment outside the United Kingdom, which is not less extensive than that required for a certificate under section 10 above; and
(c)that he is of good character,
that person shall, if the General Council think fit so to direct, be registered under this section as a fully registered medical practitioner.
(2) In this Act “exempt person” means a person who—
(a)is a national of an EEA State other than the United Kingdom;
(b)is a national of the United Kingdom who is exercising an enforceable Community right; or
(c)is not a national of an EEA State, but is, by virtue of a right conferred by article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68, or any other enforceable Community right, entitled to be treated, for the purposes of access to the medical profession, no less favourably than a national of such a State.
(3) In determining an application by any person for registration under this section, the General Council shall take into account—
(a)if the applicant holds a qualification granted outside the European Economic Area which has been accepted by another EEA State as qualifying him to practise as a medical practitioner in that State, the acceptance of the qualification; and
(b)all medical qualifications, knowledge or experience, wherever acquired, which are relevant to the determination of his application.
(4) Subsection (4) of section 10 above shall apply to a person prevented from embarking on, or completing, a period of experience required for the purposes of this section as it applies to a person prevented from embarking on, or completing, a period of experience required for the purposes of that section.”.
(3) Omit section 20(experience required for full registration by virtue of recognised overseas qualifications).
(4) In section 21 (provisional registration)—
(a)in subsection (1) for “section 20(2)(a)” substitute “ section 19(1)(b) ”;
(b)in subsection (2) omit “, (b)”; and
(c)for subsection (2A) substitute—
“(2A) Subsection (3) of section 19 above applies in relation to an application for registration under this section as it applies in relation to an application for registration under that section.”
(5) After section 21 insert—
(1) Where a person satisfies the Registrar—
(a)that he holds an acceptable overseas qualification other than a primary European qualification;
(b)that he is an eligible specialist or a qualified general practitioner;
(c)that he is of good character; and
(d)that he has the necessary knowledge of English or is an exempt person,
that person shall, if the General Council think fit so to direct, be registered under this section as a fully registered medical practitioner.
(2) In subsection (1)(b) above—
“eligible specialist” means a person—
who—
has specialist medical qualifications awarded outside the United Kingdom in a medical specialty in which the United Kingdom awards a CCST, and
has satisfied the competent authority that those qualifications are equivalent to a CCST; or
who—
has specialist medical qualifications awarded outside the United Kingdom in a specialty in which the United Kingdom does not award a CCST, or
has knowledge of or experience in any medical specialty derived from academic or research work,
and has satisfied the competent authority that these give him a level of knowledge and skill consistent with practice as a consultant in that specialty in the National Health Service; and
“qualified general practitioner” means a person who has been awarded a Certificate of Equivalent Experience by the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice.
(3) In this section—
“CCST” means a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training; and
“competent authority” means the competent authority for the purpose of article 9(2) and (3) of the European Specialist Medical Qualifications Order 1995.”.
(6) In section 22 (limited registration of persons by virtue of overseas qualifications)—
(a)for subsection (1)(a) substitute—
“(a)that he has been selected for employment in the British Islands of a description approved by the General Council for the purposes of this section;”;
(b)in subsection (1)(c) omit “(within the meaning of section 19 above)”; and
(c)for subsection (1A) substitute—
“(1A) In determining an application by an exempt person for registration under this section, the General Council shall take into account—
(a)if the applicant holds, has held or has passed the examination necessary for obtaining a qualification granted outside the European Economic Area which has been accepted by another EEA State as qualifying him to practise as a medical practitioner in that State, the acceptance of the qualification; and
(b)all medical qualifications, knowledge or experience, wherever acquired, which are relevant to the determination of his application.”.
(7) In section 24(3)(a)(limited registration: erasure) omit “a particular employment or”.
(8) In section 25(full registration of persons with limited registration) omit “under section 19 above”.
(9) In section 26 (registration of qualifications)—
(a)in subsection (1)—
(i)for “19 or 21” substitute “ 19, 21 or 21A ”,
(ii)for “recognised overseas qualification or qualifications” substitute “ acceptable overseas qualification ”,
(iii)omit paragraph (a), and
(iv)in paragraph (b) for the words from “subject to” to “(other than a recognised overseas qualification)” substitute “ subject to subsection (3) below, any overseas qualification ”; and
(b)in subsection (2) omit “section 19 above by virtue of”.
(10) In section 27(1) (temporary full registration for visiting overseas practitioners)—
(a)in paragraph (a) omit “recognised overseas qualifications or”;
(b)omit the word “and” at the end of paragraph (b); and
(c)at the end of paragraph (c) insert
“;and
(d)that he is of good character,”
(11) Omit sections 28(the Review Board for Overseas Qualified Practitioners) and 29 (functions of the Review Board).