Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Act 2012

Interpretation.

1.— In this Act—

“eligible person” means a person who is entitled under the relevant section to have relevant services made available to him or her;

“Executive” means the Health Service Executive;

“General Medical Services Scheme” means the scheme for the time being in force administered by the Executive for the purposes of performing its function under the relevant section to make available without charge a general practitioner medical and surgical service for eligible persons, and includes—

(a) any agreement forming part of that scheme,

(b) any circulars, letters or other documents (in whatever form) establishing, amending, qualifying or supplementing that scheme, and

(c) any administrative practices relating to that scheme;

“relevant agreement” means any agreement which forms part of, or which relates (whether in whole or in part and whether directly or indirectly) to the General Medical Services Scheme, entered into by any person (including a Minister of the Government or the Executive) or any group of persons (whether before, on or after the commencement of section 2 ), and includes—

(a) any circulars, letters or other documents (in whatever form) amending, qualifying or supplementing the agreement, whether or not they fall within paragraph (b) of the definition of “General Medical Services Scheme”, and

(b) any administrative practices relating to the agreement, whether or not they fall within paragraph (c) of the definition of “General Medical Services Scheme”;

“relevant medical practitioner” means a registered medical practitioner—

(a) whose name is included in the Specialist Division of the register of medical practitioners established under section 43 (2)(b) of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 , and

(b) who holds a current certificate of registration within the meaning of section 2 of that Act in respect of the medical specialty “General Practice” recognised under section 89(1) of that Act;

“relevant section” means section 58 (as amended by section 5 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2005 ) of the Health Act 1970 ;

“relevant services” means one or more services which may be provided, under the General Medical Services Scheme, to eligible persons.