Explanatory note

This Order further amends the Welsh Ambulance Services National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1998 in order to amend the functions of the Welsh Ambulance Services National Health Service Trust.

The functions are amended to give the Welsh Ambulance Services National Health Service Trust the function of performing the functions of the National Contact Point in Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (“the Directive”).

In accordance with regulation 2(2) of the National Health Service (Cross-Border Healthcare) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/2269) (“the 2013 Regulations”), Welsh Ministers are required to designate, in relation to Wales, a suitable person or body to be the national contact point for the purposes of the Directive. Regulations 3 to 6 of the 2013 Regulations place duties upon the designated national contact points in England and Wales with regard to the information that they are required to make available to resident patients (ie in relation to the Welsh national contact point persons who are ordinarily resident in Wales) and visiting patients (ie patients for whom the UK is not the member state of affiliation) and place duties upon the designated national contact points relating to cooperation with other national contact points and the European Commission and consultation with organisations representing patients, health providers and insurers.