The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) Amendment Regulations 2014

Insertion of new paragraph 13A into Schedule 5 to the Personal Medical Services Agreements Regulations

13.  In Schedule 5 to the Personal Medical Services Agreements Regulations (other contractual terms), after paragraph 13 (list of patients) insert—

“Patients aged 75 and over: accountable GP

13A.— (1) A contractor must ensure that for each of its registered patients aged 75 and over there is assigned an accountable general medical practitioner (“accountable GP”).

(2) The accountable GP must—

(a) take lead responsibility for ensuring that any services which the contractor is required to provide under the agreement are, to the extent that their provision is considered necessary to meet the needs of the patient, delivered to the patient;

(b) take all reasonable steps to recognise and appropriately respond to the physical and psychological needs of the patient in a timely manner;

(c) ensure that the patient receives a health check if, and within a reasonable period after, one has been requested; and

(d) work co-operatively with other health and social care professionals who may become involved in the care and treatment of the patient to ensure the delivery of a multi-disciplinary care package designed to meet the needs of the patient.

(3) The contractor must—

(a) inform the patient, in such manner as is considered appropriate by the practice, of the assignment to them of an accountable GP which must state the name and contact details of the accountable GP and the role and responsibilities of the accountable GP in respect of the patient;

(b) inform the patient as soon as any circumstances arise in which the accountable GP is not able, for any significant period, to carry out their duties towards the patient; and

(c) where the practice considers it to be necessary, assign a replacement accountable GP to the patient and give notice to the patient accordingly.

(4) The contractor must comply with the requirement in sub-paragraph (3)(a)—

(a) in the case of any person who is included in the contractor’s list of patients immediately before 1st April 2014 and—

(i) is aged 75 or over on or before that date, by 30th June 2014, or

(ii) who attains the age of 75 after that date, within 21 days from the date on which that person attained that age; or

(b) in the case of any person aged 75 or over who is accepted by the contractor as a registered patient on or after 1st April 2014, within 21 days from the date on which that person is so accepted.

(5) In this regulation, “health check” means a consultation undertaken by the contactor in the course of which it must make such inquiries and undertake such examinations of the patient as appear to it to be appropriate in all the circumstances.”.