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Explanatory note

Original text. Later amendments are not shown.

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Functions of the First-tier Tribunal relating to Primary Medical, Dental and Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 2010 (“the Tribunal Regulations”), the National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005 (“the GDS Contracts Regulations”), the National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005 (“the PDS Agreements Regulations”) and the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005 (“the Dental Charges Regulations”).

Regulation 2 amends regulation 5 of the Tribunal Regulations, which contains directions to the First-tier Tribunal in respect of general dental services contracts disputes, to include disputes relating to contractors that are limited liability partnerships. This follows changes made by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to the National Health Service Act 2006 that allowed limited liability partnerships to enter into general dental services contracts.

Regulations 3(2), 4(2) and 5 substitute the definition of “course of treatment” in the GDS Contracts Regulations, the PDS Agreements Regulations and the Dental Charges Regulations respectively to correct drafting errors.

Regulations 3(3) and 4(3) amend Schedule 2 to the GDS Contracts Regulations, and Schedule 2 to the PDS Agreements Regulations, in relation to the allocation of units of dental activity between contractors where a patient is referred for advanced mandatory treatment. The effect is to ensure that the calculation of the units of dental activity that each contractor undertakes, and so for which they are paid, only relates to the dental activity that they actually undertake.

Regulations 3(4) and 4(4)(b) amend the patient information leaflet requirements in Schedule 4 to the GDS Contracts Regulations, and in Schedule 4 to the PDS Agreements Regulations, to remove references to NHS Direct, which is to be abolished.

Regulation 4(4)(a) also amends Schedule 4 to the PDS Agreements Regulations to correct an erroneous reference to the wrong body.