Medical Act 1983

22 Limited registration of persons by virtue of overseas qualifications. U.K.

(1) Subject to sections 23(5) and 24 below, where a person satisfies the Registrar—

(a) that he has been selected for employment in the United Kingdom or the Isle of Man as a medical practitioner in one or more hospitals or other institutions approved by the General Council for the purposes of this section;

(b) that he holds, has held, or has passed the examination necessary for obtaining some acceptable overseas qualification or qualifications;

(c) that he has the necessary knowledge of English [F1 or is an exempt person (within the meaning of section 19 above)];

(d) that he is of good character; and

(e) that he has the knowledge and skill, and has acquired the experience, which is necessary for practice as a medical practitioner registered under this section and is appropriate in his case,

he shall, if the General Council think fit so to direct, be registered under this section as a medical practitioner with limited registration.

[F2 (1A) Subsections (1A) and (1B) of section 19 above apply for the purposes of this section as they apply for the purposes of that section, but with the following modifications—

(a) in subsection (1A), the insertion after the word “holds” of the words “, has held or has passed the examination necessary for obtaining”; and

(b) in subsection (1B), the substitution for the words “a recognised” of the words “an acceptable”.]

(2) In this Act “limited registration” means registration under this section limited in accordance with subsection (5) below in respect of the period for which and the employment for the purposes of which it has effect.

(3) No person shall be registered under this section for a period, or for periods which amount in the aggregate to a period, exceeding five years; and in this Act the “permitted period”, in relation to an applicant for registration under this section, means—

(a) if he has not previously been registered under this section, five years;

(b) if he has previously been so registered, the amount by which five years exceeds the period or aggregate of periods for which he has been so registered.

(4) In this Act an “acceptable overseas qualification” means any qualification granted outside the United Kingdom and for the time being accepted by the General Council for the purposes of this section as furnishing a sufficient guarantee of the possession of the knowledge and skill requisite for the practice of medicine under the supervision of a person who is registered as a fully registered medical practitioner.

(5) The limits of a person’s registration under this section shall be defined in the direction by virtue of which he is registered in accordance with the following provisions, that is to say—

(a) the direction shall specify a period, not exceeding his permitted period, as the period for which his registration is to have effect; and

(b) the direction shall specify the particular employment or the descriptions of employment for the purposes of which he is registered under this section;

and, subject to subsection (6) below and to section 24(1) and (2) below, that person’s registration shall have effect for the period and for the purposes of the particular employment or the descriptions of employment specified in the direction.

(6) Where a direction specifies a particular employment as the employment for the purposes of which a person is registered under this section and that employment terminates before the end of the period specified in the direction by virtue of subsection (5)(a) above, the registration of the person under this section shall cease to have effect when that employment terminates.

(7) A person registered under this section shall be treated as registered under section 19 above as a fully registered medical practitioner in relation to the following matters, namely—

(a) any employment in which he is engaged during the currency of his registration, being the particular employment or employment of a description for the purposes of which he is registered; and

(b) things done or omitted in the course of that employment; and

(c) any other thing incidental to his work in that employment which, by virtue of any enactment, may not lawfully or validly be done except by a fully registered medical practitioner;

but in relation to other matters he shall be treated as not so registered.

(8) A person registered under this section shall not, while engaged in the particular employment or in employment of a description for the purposes of which he is registered, work otherwise than under the supervision of a person who is registered as a fully registered medical practitioner.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 22(1)(c) inserted (10.7.1996) by S.I. 1996/1591, reg. 6(5)

F2 S. 22(1A) inserted (10.7.1996) by S.I. 1996/1591, reg. 6(6)