The National Health Service (General Medical Services) Amendment (Wales) Regulations 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note does not form part of the Regulations.)

These regulations have effect to further amend the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 (“the principal Regulations”), which regulate the terms on which doctors provide general medical services under the National Health Service Act 1977 (“the 1977 Act”).

The textual amendments of the principal regulations which are made by the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Amendment Regulations 2000 (“the 2000 Regulations”) and which extend to England are made to have effect in Wales.

Regulation 2 of the 2000 Regulations requires a Health Authority to remove the name of any doctor convicted of murder or convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to at least six months imprisonment from its medical list (by amending regulation 7 of the principal Regulations (removal from the medical list)).

Regulation 5 of the 2000 Regulations also imposes a requirement on a doctor applying to a Health Authority for nomination or approval for a practice vacancy to make a declaration as to whether he has been convicted of any criminal offence, been bound over or cautioned, or is the subject at present of criminal proceedings, and whether he is or has been the subject of any disciplinary proceedings by his professional body or regulatory body, whether in the UK or elsewhere (by inserting a paragraph 6A into paragraph 6 of Part III to Schedule 3 of the principal Regulations (information and undertakings to be given by a practitioner in connection with an application for nomination or approval for a practice vacancy)).

Regulation 3 of the 2000 Regulations provides that a Health Authority shall not approve a doctor if they consider him unsuitable having considered the declaration (by inserting a paragraph (1)(bb) into regulation 18E of the principal Regulations (criteria for approval and nomination)).

Regulation 4 of the 2000 Regulations provides that the details of this declaration must be included in the information provided by a Health Authority when making a reference to the Medical Practices Committee (by amending paragraph 8 of Part I of Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (information to be included in a report by a Health Authority when making a reference to the Medical Practices Committee)).