Section 6E: Regulations as to the exercise of functions by NHS England or integrated care boards, National Health Service Act 2006

Regulations must impose requirements (to be known as "standing rules") in accordance with this section on NHS England and on integrated care boards.

The regulations must make provision as to the arrangements that NHS England and integrated care boards must make, in exercising their commissioning functions, 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.

The regulations may make other provision for the purpose of securing that, in exercising their commissioning functions, NHS England and integrated care boards protect and promote the rights of persons to make choices in relation to treatments or other services, where those rights—

arise by virtue of regulations under subsection (1A), or

are described in the NHS Constitution.

The regulations may, in relation to the commissioning functions of NHS England or integrated care boards, make provision—

requiring NHS England or integrated care boards 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;

as to the arrangements that NHS England or integrated care boards must make for the purpose of making decisions as to—

the treatments or other services that are to be provided;

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

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

requiring NHS England or an integrated care board to take specified steps before making decisions as to the matters mentioned in that paragraph;

as to reviews of, or appeals from, such decisions.

The regulations may—

specify matters for which provision must be made in commissioning contracts entered into by NHS England or integrated care boards;

require NHS England to draft terms and conditions making provision for those matters;

require NHS England or integrated care boards to incorporate the terms and conditions drafted by virtue of paragraph (b) in commissioning contracts entered into by NHS England or (as the case may be) integrated care boards.

The regulations must—

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

authorise NHS England to require integrated care boards to incorporate terms and conditions prepared by virtue of paragraph (a) in their commissioning contracts;

authorise NHS England to draft model commissioning contracts.

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

The regulations may require NHS England or integrated care boards in the exercise of any of its or their functions—

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

The regulations may not impose a requirement on only one integrated care board.

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—

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

lay the statement before Parliament.

In this section—

"commissioning contracts", in relation to NHS England or integrated care boards, means contracts entered into by NHS England or (as the case may be) integrated care boards in the exercise of its or their commissioning functions;

"commissioning functions", in relation to NHS England or integrated care boards, means the functions of NHS England or (as the case may be) integrated care boards in arranging for the provision of services as part of the health service;

"specified" means specified in the regulations.

Section 6E: Regulations as to the exercise of functions by NHS England or integrated care boards

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