The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts and Personal Medical Services Agreements) Amendment Regulations 2014

Substitution of paragraph 9 of Schedule 5 to the Personal Medical Services Agreements Regulations

11.  In Schedule 5 to the Personal Medical Services Agreements Regulations (other contractual terms), for paragraph 9 (standards for out of hours services) substitute—

“Out of hours services: quality standards and monitoring

9.— (1) Sub-paragraph (2) applies to a contractor which—

(a) provides out of hours services to the registered patients of another contractor or provider of essential services (or their equivalent); or

(b) has contracted to provide out of hours services to patients to whom it provides essential services.

(2) The contractor must, in the provision of those services, meet the quality requirements set out in the document entitled “National Quality Standards in the Delivery of Out of Hours Services” published on 20th July 2006(1).

(3) Where a contractor is a provider of essential services but does not provide out of hours services, the contractor must—

(a) monitor the quality of the out of hours services which are offered or provided to its registered patients having regard to the National Quality Standards referred to in sub-paragraph (2) and record, and act appropriately in relation to, any concerns arising;

(b) record any patient feedback received including any complaints; and

(c) report to the Board, either at the request of the Board or otherwise, any concerns arising about the quality of the out of hours services which are offered or provided to its registered patients having regard to—

(i) any patient feedback received, including any complaints, and

(ii) the quality requirements set out in the National Quality Standards referred to in sub-paragraph (2).”.

(1)

The document entitled “National Quality Standards in the Delivery of Out of Hours Services” published on 20th July 2006 is available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PolicyAndGuidance/DH_4137271. Copies may be obtained from the Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS.