(1)The Medical Practices Committee is abolished.
(2)On the date this section comes into force—
(a)all property in the possession of the Medical Practices Committee, and
(b)all rights and liabilities to which the Medical Practices Committee is entitled or subject immediately before that date,
shall be transferred to the Secretary of State.
(3)In Schedule 10 to the 1977 Act (additional provisions as to sale of medical practices)—
(a)for each reference to “the Medical Practices Committee” and “the Committee”, and for “Medical Practices Committee” in the heading preceding paragraph 1, there shall be substituted “the Secretary of State”,
(b)in paragraph 1(3)—
(i)for “they are” there shall be substituted “he is”, and
(ii)for “they shall” there shall be substituted “he shall”, and
(c)in paragraph 1(7), for “them”—
(i)where it first occurs there shall be substituted “the Secretary of State”, and
(ii)where it occurs the second time there shall be substituted “him”.
(4)A certificate issued by the Medical Practices Committee under paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 10 to the 1977 Act before the commencement of this section shall continue to have effect from then on as if it had been issued by the Secretary of State.
(1)Section 29B of the 1977 Act (which provides for regulations about the filling of vacancies for general practitioners) shall be amended as follows.
(2)In subsection (2)—
(a)for paragraphs (a) and (b) there shall be substituted—
“(a)the determination by a Health Authority of whether there is, or will be, a vacancy for a medical practitioner in a locality;
(b)any consultation which a Health Authority must undertake before doing so;”, and
(b)in paragraph (c), for “the Medical Practices Committee” there shall be substituted “a Health Authority”.
(3)In subsection (3)(b), for “Secretary of State” there shall be substituted “FHSAA”.
The National Health Service Tribunal is abolished.