The National Health Service (Out of Hours Provision of Personal Medical Services and Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2003

Out of hours arrangements

3.—(1) A pilot scheme provider may, with the approval of the relevant body, make an arrangement under which any of its liabilities and obligations under a pilot scheme are transferred to an accredited service provider during part or all of the out of hours period (“an out of hours arrangement”).

(2) An out of hours arrangement shall—

(a) terminate if the approval of the accredited service provider is withdrawn under regulation 8 of the Out of Hours Regulations (withdrawal of accreditation); or

(b) be suspended if the approval of the accredited service provider is suspended under regulation 9 of the Out of Hours Regulations (suspension of approval),

and in these circumstances, the provisions of regulations 5 and 6 below shall not apply.

(3) A pilot scheme provider may—

(a) make more than one out of hours arrangement, for example with different accredited service providers and in respect of different patients, different times and different parts of the pilot area;

(b) retain responsibility for, or make separate out of hours arrangements in respect of, the provision of maternity medical services, and any separate out of hours arrangements it makes may encompass all or any part of the maternity medical services it provides.

(4) Nothing in this regulation prevents a pilot scheme provider from retaining or resuming its obligations in relation to named patients.