(This note is not part of the Regulations)
Schedule 1 to these Regulations amends the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1862) (“the GMS Contracts Regulations”) and Schedule 2 to these Regulations amends the National Health Service (Personal Medical Services Agreements) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1879) (“the PMS Agreements Regulations”).
The GMS Contracts Regulations and the PMS Agreements Regulations respectively make provision in respect of services provided under a general medical services contract and a personal medical services agreement made pursuant to Part 4 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41). They apply to England only.
The GMS Contracts Regulations and the PMS Agreements Regulations are amended respectively so as to:
(a)remove references to medical cards (see paragraphs 1 to 3 of Schedule 1 and paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2);
(b)correct errors in provisions relating to the disclosure of pay by NHS jobholders (see paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 3 of Schedule 2);
(c)require contractors to notify both existing and new registered patients about the online services provided by the practice, including being able to access all their medical records, and to be in a position to offer those services to those all patients by at the latest 31st October 2023 and make related amendments (see paragraphs 5 to 8 of Schedule 1 and paragraphs 5 to 8 of Schedule 2);
(d)require contractors to obtain new telephone services from a supplier specified in the nationally set framework for cloud based telephony and for those services to meet the standards specified in that framework (see paragraph 9 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 9 of Schedule 2);
(e)where patients contact a practice, require contractors to arrange for the patients’ concerns and queries to be dealt with expeditiously, including the arrangement of appointments where that is appropriate (see paragraph 10 of Schedule 1 and paragraph 10 of Schedule 2).
Regulation 4 makes a transitional provision preventing contractors from removing from registered patients the facility to access online their prospective medical records which was provided under the previous legislation.
In addition, paragraphs 4 and 11 of Schedule 2 amend the PMS Agreements Regulations to make amendments consequential on the Health and Care Act 2022 (c. 31).
A full Impact Assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.