National Health Service Act 2006

[F1Regulations as to the exercise of functionsE+W

6CRegulations as to the exercise by local authorities of certain public health functionsE+W

(1)Regulations may require a local authority to exercise any of the public health functions of the Secretary of State (so far as relating to the health of the public in the authority's area) by taking such steps as may be prescribed.

(2)Regulations may require a local authority to exercise its public health functions by taking such steps as may be prescribed.

(3)Where regulations under subsection (1) require a local authority to exercise any of the public health functions of the Secretary of State, the regulations may also authorise or require the local authority to exercise any prescribed functions of the Secretary of State that are exercisable in connection with those functions (including the powers conferred by section 12).

(4)The making of regulations under subsection (1) does not prevent the Secretary of State from taking any step that a local authority is required to take under the regulations.

(5)Any rights acquired, or liabilities (including liabilities in tort) incurred, in respect of the exercise by a local authority of any of its functions under regulations under subsection (1) are enforceable by or against the local authority (and no other person).

(6)In this section, “local authority” has the same meaning as in section 2B.]

[F26DRegulations relating to EU obligationsE+W

(1)Regulations may require the Board or a clinical commissioning group to exercise a specified EU health function.

(2)In subsection (1)—

(a)“EU health function” means any function exercisable by the Secretary of State for the purpose of implementing EU obligations that concern, or are connected to, the health service, other than a function of making subordinate legislation (within the meaning of the Interpretation Act 1978), and

(b)“specified” means specified in the regulations.

(3)The Secretary of State may give directions to the Board or a clinical commissioning group about its exercise of any of its functions under regulations under subsection (1).

(4)The making of regulations under subsection (1) does not prevent the Secretary of State from exercising the specified EU health function.

(5)Any rights acquired, or liabilities (including liabilities in tort) incurred, in respect of the exercise by the Board or a clinical commissioning group of any of its functions under regulations under subsection (1) are enforceable by or against the Board or (as the case may be) the group (and no other person).

(6)The Secretary of State may, for the purpose of securing compliance by the United Kingdom with EU obligations, give directions to the Board or a clinical commissioning group about the exercise of any of its functions.]

[F36ERegulations as to the exercise of functions by the Board or clinical commissioning groupsE+W

(1)Regulations may impose requirements (to be known as “standing rules”) in accordance with this section on the Board or on clinical commissioning groups.

(2)The regulations may, in relation to the commissioning functions of the Board or clinical commissioning groups, make provision—

(a)requiring the Board or clinical commissioning groups to arrange for specified treatments or other specified services to be provided or to be provided in a specified manner or within a specified period;

(b)as to the arrangements that the Board or clinical commissioning groups must make for the purpose of making decisions as to—

(i)the treatments or other services that are to be provided;

(ii)the manner in which or period within which specified treatments or other specified services are to be provided;

(iii)the persons to whom specified treatments or other specified services are to be provided;

(c)as to the arrangements that the Board or clinical commissioning groups must make for enabling persons to whom specified treatments or other specified services are to be provided to make choices with respect to specified aspects of them.

(3)Regulations by virtue of paragraph (b) of subsection (2) may, in particular, make provision—

(a)requiring the Board or a clinical commissioning group to take specified steps before making decisions as to the matters mentioned in that paragraph;

(b)as to reviews of, or appeals from, such decisions.

(4)The regulations may—

(a)specify matters for which provision must be made in commissioning contracts entered into by the Board or clinical commissioning groups;

(b)require the Board to draft terms and conditions making provision for those matters;

(c)require the Board or clinical commissioning groups to incorporate the terms and conditions drafted by virtue of paragraph (b) in commissioning contracts entered into by the Board or (as the case may be) clinical commissioning groups.

(5)The regulations must—

(a)require the Board to draft such terms and conditions as the Board considers are, or might be, appropriate for inclusion in commissioning contracts entered into by the Board or clinical commissioning groups (other than terms and conditions that the Board is required to draft by virtue of subsection (4)(a));

(b)authorise the Board to require clinical commissioning groups to incorporate terms and conditions prepared by virtue of paragraph (a) in their commissioning contracts;

(c)authorise the Board to draft model commissioning contracts.

(6)The regulations may require the Board to consult prescribed persons before exercising any of its functions by virtue of subsection (4)(b) or (5).

(7)The regulations may require the Board or clinical commissioning groups in the exercise of any of its or their functions—

(a)to provide information of a specified description to specified persons in a specified manner;

(b)to act in a specified manner for the purpose of securing compliance with EU obligations;

(c)to do such other things as the Secretary of State considers necessary for the purposes of the health service.

(8)The regulations may not impose a requirement on only one clinical commissioning group.

(9)If regulations under this section are made so as to come into force on a day other than 1 April, the Secretary of State must—

(a)publish a statement explaining the reasons for making the regulations so as to come into force on such a day, and

(b)lay the statement before Parliament.

(10)In this section—

(a)“commissioning contracts”, in relation to the Board or clinical commissioning groups, means contracts entered into by the Board or (as the case may be) clinical commissioning groups in the exercise of its or their commissioning functions;

(b)“commissioning functions”, in relation to the Board or clinical commissioning groups, means the functions of the Board or (as the case may be) clinical commissioning groups in arranging for the provision of services as part of the health service;

(c)“specified” means specified in the regulations.]