31. In making an assignment to a contractor under paragraph 29 or 30, the Health Board is to have regard to—
(a)the wishes and circumstances of the patient to be assigned;
(b)the distance between the patient’s place of residence and the contractor’s practice premises;
(c)whether, during the six months ending on the date on which the application for assignment is received by the Health Board, the patient’s name has been removed from the list of patients of any contractor in the area of the Health Board under paragraph 17 or its equivalent provision in relation to a section 17C provider in the area of the Health Board;
(d)whether the patient’s name has been removed from the list of patients of any contractor in the area of the Health Board under paragraph 18 or its equivalent provision in relation to a section 17C provider in the area of the Health Board and, if so, whether the contractor has appropriate facilities to deal with such a patient; and
(e)such other matters as the Health Board considers to be relevant.