The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004

Attendance outside practice premises

3.—(1) In the case of a patient whose medical condition is such that in the reasonable opinion of the contractor—

(a)attendance on the patient is required; and

(b)it would be inappropriate for him to attend at the practice premises,

the contractor shall provide services to that patient at whichever in its judgement is the most appropriate of the places set out in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) The places referred to in sub-paragraph (1) are—

(a)the place recorded in the patient’s medical records as being his last home address;

(b)such other place as the contractor has informed the patient and the Primary Care Trust is the place where it has agreed to visit and treat the patient; or

(c)some other place in the contractor’s practice area.

(3) Nothing in this paragraph prevents the contractor from—

(a)arranging for the referral of a patient without first seeing the patient, in a case where the medical condition of that patient makes that course of action appropriate; or

(b)visiting the patient in circumstances where this paragraph does not place it under an obligation to do so.