{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972/article-55",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972/article-55.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1972/1265",
  "legislation_title": "Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972",
  "path": "article/55",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "55",
  "heading": "Recognition of Local Dental Committees, Local Optical Committees and Local Pharmaceutical Committees",
  "text": "Para. (1) rep. by 2004 NI 2\n(2) The Department may recognise a committee formed for an area which it is satisfied is representative of—\n(a) the dental practitioners providing general dental services in that area;\n(b) those dental practitioners and the deputy dental practitioners for that area; or\n(c) the dental practitioners mentioned in—\n(i) sub-paragraph (a); or\n(ii) sub-paragraph (b),\nand the Article 15B dental practitioners for that area,\nand any committee so recognised shall be called the Local Dental Committee for the area.\n(3) Where the Department is satisfied that a committee formed for an area is representative—\n(a) of the ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians providing general ophthalmic services in that area, or\n(b) of the persons providing pharmaceutical services in that area,\nthe Department may recognise that committee; and any committee so recognised shall be called the Local Optical Committee or the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, as the case may be, for the area concerned.\n(4) Any committee recognised under this Article may with the approval of the Department delegate any of its functions, with or without restrictions or conditions, to sub-committees composed of members of that committee.\n(5) For the purposes of this Article and Article 55A, a person who meets the condition in paragraph (6)—\nSub-paras. (a) and (b) rep. by 2004 NI 2\n(c) is a deputy dental practitioner for an area if he is a dental practitioner who assists a dental practitioner providing general dental services in that area in the provision of those services . . . ;\n(d) is an Article 15B dental practitioner for an area if he is a dental practitioner who provides or performs personal dental services in accordance with arrangements made under Article 15B by the Department (whether with himself or another).\n(6) The condition referred to in paragraph (5) is that the person concerned has notified the Department that he wishes to be represented under this Article by the appropriate committee for the area (and has not notified it that he wishes to cease to be so represented).\n(7) For the purposes of paragraph (5)—\n(a) a person is to be treated as assisting a. . . dental practitioner in the provision of services if he is employed by that practitioner for that purpose or if he acts as his deputy in providing those services; . . .\n(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "2001 c. 3 (NI)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(2) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 19(2); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(2) substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(a); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(3) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 19(3); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(3) substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(a); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(3)(a) inserted (26.3.2008) by Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 2), ss. 9, 18(1)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(4) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 19(4); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(5)(c) substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(b)(i); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(5)(c) repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(b)(ii), Sch. 7; S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(5)(d) substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(c); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(5) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 19(4); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(6) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 19(4); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in art. 55(6) substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(d); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "2004 NI 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F15",
      "text": "Art. 55(7)(b) and word repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(e), Sch. 7; S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F16",
      "text": "Art. 55(7)(b) and word repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(27)(e), Sch. 7; S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1972/1265/article/55",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:54:41.031010+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}