5. Subject to article 6, a Local Health Board must, if a person so wishes, enter into a general medical services contract with that person as one of two or more individuals practising in partnership if—
(a)on 31st March 2004, or on the date on which the contract is to be signed, if earlier, he or she is—
(i)included in the medical list of the Local Health Board by virtue of regulation 4(1)(a) of the 1992 Regulations, or
(ii)a medical practitioner who has been approved by the Local Health Board under regulation 18A or 18B of the 1992 Regulations but whose name has not yet been entered on the medical list of that Local Health Board in accordance with regulation 18F(1) of those Regulations(1);
(b)except in the case of a person who falls within paragraph (a)(ii), he or she is, on the date on which the contract is to be signed, providing general medical services under section 29 of the 1977 Act or services under a default contract —
(i)in partnership with one or more other persons who meet the requirements in paragraph (a)(i), or
(ii)as an individual medical practitioner with whom another medical practitioner has been approved to be in partnership under regulation 18A or 18B of the 1992 Regulations; and
(c)he or she wishes to enter into a contract as an individual practising in partnership with one or more medical practitioners who meet the requirements in paragraph (a)(i) and with whom on 31st March 2004, is on the date on which the contract is to be signed, if earlier, he or she was practising in partnership or whose nomination, in relation to the partnership, has been approved by the Local Health Board under regulations 18A or 18B of the 1992 Regulations.