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

Where the contractor changes from being a partnership to an individual

110.—(1) If a contractor is a partnership which it is proposed will be terminated or dissolved and as a consequence the contractor’s contract (“the old contract”) will be terminated and one of the partners wishes to enter into a new contract (“the new contract”) with the Health Board as an individual medical practitioner (“the proposed contractor”) on as similar terms as possible as the old contract, the partnership and the proposed contractor may give written notice thereof to the Health Board which shall state—

(a) the name and address of the partnership, of the partners in that partnership and of the proposed contractor;

(b) the date on which it is proposed that the proposed contractor should become the contractor, which shall not be less than 28 days after the date of service of the notice; and

(c) that the proposed contractor meets the requirements of regulations 4(1) and 5(1)(a),

and the notice shall be signed by the partnership, the partners in that partnership and the proposed contractor.

(2) If the Health Board is satisfied as to the accuracy of the matters specified in the notice under sub-paragraph (1), it shall give written notice to the partnership and the proposed contractor that it is prepared—

(a) to terminate the old contract with effect from a specified date; and

(b) to enter into a new contract with the proposed contractor with effect from that date which shall be on the same terms as the old contract, with only such changes as are necessary to reflect the fact that the contractor will be an individual medical practitioner and not a partnership,

and the notice shall specify the changes which the Health Board consider are necessary in terms of paragraph (b).

(3) Where it is reasonably practicable, the date specified by the Health Board in the notice under sub-paragraph (2) shall be the date proposed in the notice served under sub-paragraph (1) or, where that date is not reasonably practicable, the date specified shall be a date after that proposed date that is as close to it as is reasonably practicable.

(4) If the partnership and the proposed contractor agree with what is contained in the notice by the Health Board under sub-paragraph (2)—

(a) the Health Board and the partnership shall agree in writing to terminate the old contract with effect from the date specified in that notice; and

(b) the Health Board and the proposed contractor shall enter into a new contract with the Health Board with effect from that date on the terms mentioned in paragraph (b) of that sub-paragraph but subject to the changes specified in that notice.

(5) This paragraph is without prejudice to any other way in which the old contract may be terminated and a new contract entered into with the proposed contractor.