The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2003

Visiting panels

7.—(1) The Board may, if it thinks fit, appoint a panel of persons (a “visiting panel”) to visit any hospital, institution, general practitioner or other person by whom, where or under whose direction or management—

(a) any postgraduate medical education or training leading to the award of a CCT is, or is proposed to be given;

(b) any sub-specialty training is, or is proposed to be given.

(2) A visiting panel must include at least one person who is not and never has been a registered medical practitioner and who does not hold any qualification that is registrable under the Medical Act.

(3) Where a visiting panel visits any hospital, institution, general practitioner or other person in the exercise of its functions under this article, it shall be the duty of the visiting panel to prepare a report to the Board on the visit.

(4) The Board shall, following a request by any person, make available such reports.

(5) Subject to the requirements of this article, the Board shall make rules in relation to visiting panels and such rules shall include provision as to—

(a) the composition of visiting panels;

(b) the areas or matters to be covered by a report to the Board under paragraph (3);

(c) the frequency with which visiting panels shall visit the persons or bodies specified in paragraph (1);

(d) the manner in which such visits are to be conducted;

(e) the payment of allowances to persons appointed to visiting panels, including the payment of allowances to employers of persons appointed to visiting panels for the purposes of enabling visitors to perform functions under this article; and

(f) the reimbursement of such expenses as persons appointed to visiting panels may reasonably have incurred in the course of the panel carrying out its functions under this article.