The National Health Service (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 1989

Amendment to paragraph 10 (treatment of patients)

7.  In paragraph 10 (treatment of patients)—

(a) for sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) there shall be substituted the following:—

“(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (7) the services referred to in paragraph 9 shall be rendered by a doctor—

(a) at his practice premises; or

(b) if the condition of the patient so requires—

(i) at the place where the patient was residing when he was accepted by the doctor pursuant to paragraph 6 or, as the case may be, when he was assigned to the doctor pursuant to regulation 16 or, in the case of a patient who was previously on the list of a doctor in a practice declared vacant, when the doctor succeeded to the vacancy, or

(ii) at such other place as the doctor has informed the patient and the Board that he has agreed to visit and treat the patient if the patient’s condition so requires; or

(iii) in any other case, at some other place in the doctor’s practice area.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-paragraph (3) a doctor shall in particular make himself available for consultations at such places and at such times as have been approved by the Board in his case pursuant to paragraphs 13 and 13(A).”; and

(b) there shall be added at the end the following sub-paragraph:—

“(7) The provisions of sub-paragraphs (3) and (4) shall not apply in the case of a patient who attends when an appointment system is in operation and who has not previously made, and is not given, an appointment. In such a case the doctor may decline to attend the patient during that surgery period, if the patient’s health would not thereby be jeopardised and the patient is offered an appointment to attend within a reasonable time having regard to all circumstances. The doctor shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a consultation is not so deferred except in accordance with his instructions.”