{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972/article-56",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972/article-56.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/56",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "56",
  "heading": "Primary medical services",
  "text": "(1) The Department shall, to the extent that it considers necessary to meet all reasonable requirements, ... provide primary medical services . . . , or secure their provision . . . .\n(2) The Department may (in addition to any other power conferred on it)—\n(a) provide primary medical services itself . . . ;\n(b) make such arrangements for their provision . . . as it thinks fit, and may in particular make contractual arrangements with any person.\n(3) The Department shall publish information about such matters as may be prescribed in relation to the primary medical services provided under this Part.\n(4) A body on which functions are conferred under this Article shall co-operate with any other such body in the discharge of their respective functions relating to the provision of primary medical services under this Part.\n(5) Regulations may provide that services of a prescribed description are, or are not, to be regarded as primary medical services for the purposes of this Part.\n(6) Regulations under this Article may in particular describe services by reference to the manner or circumstances in which they are provided.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "2004 NI 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 56(1) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 22(2)(a); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in art. 56(1) omitted (1.4.2022) by virtue of Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 22(2)(b); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in art. 56(1) repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(30)(a), Sch. 7; S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in art. 56(2) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 22(3); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in art. 56(2) repealed (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(30)(b), Sch. 7; S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in art. 56(3) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 22(4); S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1972/1265/article/56",
    "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."
}