{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972/article-57B",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-and-personal-social-services-northern-ireland-order-1972/article-57B.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/57B",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "57B",
  "heading": "Persons eligible to enter into general medical services contracts",
  "text": "(1) The Department may, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, enter into a general medical services contract with—\n(a) a medical practitioner;\n(b) two or more individuals practising in partnership where the conditions in paragraph (2) are satisfied; or\n(c) a company limited by shares where the conditions in paragraph (3) are satisfied.\n(2) The conditions referred to in paragraph (1)(b) in relation to a partnership are that—\n(a) at least one partner is a medical practitioner; and\n(b) any partner who is not a medical practitioner is either—\n(i) an HSC employee;\n(ii) an Article 15B employee, a section 28C employee or a section 17C employee;\n(iii) a health care professional who is engaged in the provision of services under this Order; or\n(iv) an individual falling within Article 15C(1)(b)(iii).\n(3) The conditions referred to in paragraph (1)(c) in relation to a company are that—\n(a) at least one share in the company is legally and beneficially owned by a medical practitioner; and\n(b) any share which is not so owned is legally and beneficially owned by a person referred to in paragraph (2)(b)(i) to (iv).\n(4) Regulations may make provision as to the effect, in relation to a general medical services contract entered into by individuals practising in partnership, of a change in the membership of the partnership.\n(5) In this Article—\n“health care professional” has the same meaning as in Article 15C;\n“ HSC employee”, “Article 15B employee”, “section 28C employee” and “section 17C employee” have the same meaning as in Article 15C.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "2004 NI 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 57B(1) substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 24; S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in Order substituted (1.4.2009) by Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 (c. 1), s. 34(3), Sch. 6 para. 1(1)(f); S.R. 2009/114, art. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1972/1265/article/57B",
    "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."
}