The Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2006

New sections 27A and 27B of the Act replacing section 27 of the Act

37.—(1) Omit section 27(1) (temporary full registration for visiting overseas specialists).

(2) After section 26, insert the following sections—

“Temporary registration for visiting eminent specialists

27A.—(1) A person who is an eminent specialist in a particular branch of medicine and who is or intends to be in the United Kingdom temporarily for the purpose of providing medical services within that branch of medicine may apply to the General Council to be registered temporarily as a fully registered medical practitioner.

(2) If the person referred to in subsection (1) satisfies the Registrar—

(a)that he holds, or has passed all the qualifying examinations necessary for obtaining, an acceptable overseas qualification;

(b)that he is entitled to practise medicine in the State where he is ordinarily resident;

(c)that he is or will be employed or engaged within the United Kingdom to provide medical services in a particular branch of medicine;

(d)that he is an eminent specialist in that particular branch of medicine; and

(e)that his fitness to practise is not impaired,

that person shall, if the General Council think fit so to direct, be registered under this section as a fully registered medical practitioner, subject to any conditions specified in the direction, for such period (being no more than 26 weeks) as they specify in the direction.

(3) The General Council may, if they think fit so to direct, vary the conditions specified in the direction and, subject to subsection (4), may extend the period specified in the direction for which the person is registered under this section.

(4) A person may not be registered under this section for more than 26 weeks in any period of five years.

(5) A person’s registration under this section shall cease to have effect on the expiry of the period for which he is registered.

(6) If a person breaches any condition to which his registration under this section is subject, anything done by him in breach of that condition—

(a)is to be treated as not being done by a registered medical practitioner; and

(b)may be treated as misconduct for the purposes of section 35C(2)(a) below, and the Registrar may refer the matter to the Investigation Committee for investigation by them under section 35C(4) below.

Special purpose registration

27B.—(1) A person who is or intends to be in the United Kingdom temporarily for the purposes of providing particular medical services exclusively to persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom may apply to the General Council to be registered temporarily as a fully registered medical practitioner.

(2) If the person referred to in paragraph (1) satisfies the Registrar—

(a)that he holds, or has passed all the qualifying examinations necessary for obtaining, an acceptable overseas qualification;

(b)that he is entitled to practise medicine in the State where he is ordinarily resident;

(c)that he is or will be employed or engaged within the United Kingdom—

(i)at an establishment that provides medical services for persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom, and

(ii)to provide particular medical services, but only for persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom; and

(d)that his fitness to practise is not impaired,

that person shall, if the General Council think fit so to direct, be registered under this section as a fully registered medical practitioner, subject to the conditions specified in the direction, for such period as they specify in the direction.

(3) The conditions that the General Council specifies in any direction under subsection (2) are to comprise or include—

(a)a condition that the person shall, except in an emergency, provide medical services within the United Kingdom only to persons who are not nationals of the United Kingdom; and

(b)a condition that the person shall, except in an emergency, provide only the particular medical services which are specified in the direction, whilst he is in the United Kingdom.

(4) The General Council may, if they think fit so to direct, vary the conditions in the direction (but not in such a way that the requirements of subsection (3) are no longer met) and may extend the period specified in the direction for which the person is registered under this section.

(5) A person’s registration under this section shall cease to have effect on the expiry of the period for which he is registered.

(6) If a person breaches any condition to which his registration under this section is subject, anything done by him in breach of that condition—

(a)is to be treated as not being done by a registered medical practitioner; and

(b)may be treated as misconduct for the purposes of section 35C(2)(a) below, and the Registrar may refer the matter to the Investigation Committee for investigation by them under section 35C(4) below.”.