100.This inserts a new section 18A into the 1977 Act, which confers various powers on Primary Care Trusts.
101.Primary Care Trusts will be able to enter pilot scheme arrangements to provide personal medical services and personal dental services under the Primary Care Act (see paragraph 88 of Schedule 4 to the Act). The new section 18A enables a Primary Care Trust also to provide personal medical services and personal dental services under sections 28C and 28D of the 1977 Act (see paragraphs 38 and 39 of the Background section of these notes for a brief explanation of these provisions and the Primary Care Act).
102.Section 18A also provides that a Primary Care Trust may arrange to provide any service, which it is able to provide to its own population, to other patients under an NHS contract (under section 4 of the 1990 Act). For example, if it is able to provide health visiting and district nursing to its population, and has the appropriate facilities and staff, it may provide those services to other patients under an NHS contract with a Health Authority or another Primary Care Trust.
103.Section 18A(3) provides a power to make premises available for GPs, general dental practitioners, pharmacists and ophthalmists. This power enables Primary Care Trusts to provide for the delivery of all these services from under the same roof.
104.The provisions in subsections (4) to (7) concern powers to recover from private patients the costs of accommodation and services, and to carry out other activities to raise additional income for the health service. The provisions are in line with similar NHS trust powers and are subject to the same restrictions. See the commentary on section 14 below.
Commentary on Sections Part I - the National Health Service Section 5: Primary Care Trusts: provision of services etc.