
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Functions of Health Authorities) (Complaints) Regulation 1996 and shall come into force on 1st April 1996.
(2) In these regulations—
 “the Act” means the National Health Service Act 1977;
 “directions” means directions given by the Secretary of State under section 17 of the Act;
 “family health service practitioner” means a person who provides any of the services to be provided under Part II of the Act, that is to say, general medical services, general dental services, general ophthalmic services or pharmaceutical services;
2 
For the purposes of section 15(1)(b) of the Act, it shall be a prescribed function of each Health Authority to establish and operate in accordance with directions procedures for dealing with complaints about family health service practitioners.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health,
John Horam
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,
Department of Health
8th March 1996