The Health and Personal Social Services (1991 Order) (Commencement No. 1) Order (Northern Ireland) 1991

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This order provides for the coming into operation of provisions of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (“the 1991 Order”) on the following dates—

1st April 1991 for the provisions in—

• Articles 8 and 9 only insofar as they relate to arrangements for the provision of goods or services between the Northern Ireland and Great Britain bodies or persons mentioned in Article 8(2),

• Part II of Schedule 5 relating to the definitions of “Health and Social Services Board” and “health and social services contract”;

15th April 1991 for the provisions in—

• Articles 10 to 16 and Schedules 3 and 4, together with the associated amendments and repeals in Schedules 5 and 6, relating to HSS trusts;

1st May 1991 for the provisions in—

• Article 5 relating to the recognition of local representative committees,

• Article 23 relating to the ability of health and social services bodies to engage in fund-raising activities,

• Article 24 relating to the meeting of losses and liabilities of health and social services bodies,

• Article 31 which relates to the widening of the definition of pharmaceutical services;

1st January 1992 for the provisions in—

• Article 29(1)(c) and (2) which relates to the number of doctors entering general medical practice;

1st April 1992 for the provisions in—

• Article 7 and Schedule 2 relating to the removal of Crown immunity,

• Articles 8 and 9 which relate to HSS contracts and the primary functions of Boards and special agencies, to the extent that they are not already in operation before that date,

• Article 21 which relates to indicative prescribing amounts,

• Article 22 which relates to the keeping and auditing of accounts, various provisions in Schedule 6 (repeals).

The order also contains a saving provision in connection with the coming into operation of Article 5 of the 1991 Order relating to the recognition of local representative committees.