2.—(1) Where a PCT Patients' Forum exercises functions in relation to services provided by an NHS trust under arrangements made by the Primary Care Trust for which the Forum is established, the PCT Patients' Forum and the Patients' Forum of that NHS trust shall co-operate with each other in the exercise of those functions.
(2) Where an NHS trust provides services under arrangements made by more than one Primary Care Trust, the Patients' Forums established for the NHS trust and the Primary Care Trusts shall co-operate with each other in the exercise of their functions in relation to those services.
(3) Patients' Forums which have agreed that co-operation or joint exercise of functions would assist them in the exercise of their functions and would be in the interests of the health service, shall co-operate with each other or exercise functions jointly as agreed.
(4) PCT Patients' Forums shall co-operate with each other in determining how best to provide or arrange for the provision of independent advocacy services. Where they agree that it is appropriate, two or more of them shall act jointly in providing or arranging for the provision of those services.
(5) In acting in accordance with paragraphs (1) to (4), Patients' Forums shall have regard to any advice given to them by the Commission.