HEALTH (PROVISION OF GENERAL PRACTITIONER SERVICES) ACT 2012

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR No. 4/2012

Number 4 of 2012
HEALTH (PROVISION OF GENERAL PRACTITIONER SERVICES) ACT 2012
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Interpretation.
2. Powers to enter into agreements for purposes of relevant section not to be limited.
3. Acceptance of eligible persons on to list of patients.
4. Retention of list of patients upon dissolution of medical partnership.
5. Executive not to consider economic viability when deciding whether to fill, etc., medical position.
6. Movement of medical practice to different premises.
7. Savings.
8. Short title and commencement.
Acts Referred to
Health (Amendment) Act 2005 2005, No. 3 Health Act 1970 1970, No. 1 Medical Practitioners Act 2007 2007, No. 25
Number 4 of 2012
HEALTH (PROVISION OF GENERAL PRACTITIONER SERVICES) ACT 2012
AN ACT TO ENABLE A WIDER RANGE OF REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS UNDER THE GENERAL MEDICAL SERVICES SCHEME, TO PROVIDE FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE OPERATION OF THAT SCHEME, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
[28th February, 2012]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
	Interpretation.	1.— In this Act—
	“eligible person” means a person who is entitled under the relevant section to have relevant services made available to him or her;
	“Executive” means the Health Service Executive;
	“General Medical Services Scheme” means the scheme for the time being in force administered by the Executive for the purposes of performing its function under the relevant section to make available without charge a general practitioner medical and surgical service for eligible persons, and includes—
	(a) any agreement forming part of that scheme,
	(b) any circulars, letters or other documents (in whatever form) establishing, amending, qualifying or supplementing that scheme, and
	(c) any administrative practices relating to that scheme;
	“relevant agreement” means any agreement which forms part of, or which relates (whether in whole or in part and whether directly or indirectly) to the General Medical Services Scheme, entered into by any person (including a Minister of the Government or the Executive) or any group of persons (whether before, on or after the commencement of section 2 ), and includes—
	(a) any circulars, letters or other documents (in whatever form) amending, qualifying or supplementing the agreement, whether or not they fall within paragraph (b) of the definition of “General Medical Services Scheme”, and
	(b) any administrative practices relating to the agreement, whether or not they fall within paragraph (c) of the definition of “General Medical Services Scheme”;
	“relevant medical practitioner” means a registered medical practitioner—
	(a) whose name is included in the Specialist Division of the register of medical practitioners established under section 43 (2)(b) of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 , and
	(b) who holds a current certificate of registration within the meaning of section 2 of that Act in respect of the medical specialty “General Practice” recognised under section 89(1) of that Act;
	“relevant section” means section 58 (as amended by section 5 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2005 ) of the Health Act 1970 ;
	“relevant services” means one or more services which may be provided, under the General Medical Services Scheme, to eligible persons.
	Powers to enter into agreements for purposes of relevant section not to be limited.	2.— (1) Subject to subsection (2), a provision of any relevant agreement which has as its object or effect (whether in whole or in part) the limitation, by reference to an event...