Statutory Instruments
2025 No. 221
HEALTH CARE AND ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONS
DOCTORS
The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Made
26th February 2025
Laid before Parliament
27th February 2025
Coming into force
27th March 2025
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of powers conferred by section 45A of the Medical Act 1983(1).
The Secretary of State has consulted the Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Ministers in accordance with section 45E(2) of the Medical Act 1983.
Citation, commencement and extent
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 27th March 2025.
(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Scotland.
Amendments to the Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulations 2010
2.—(1)The Medical Profession (Responsible Officers) Regulations 2010(2) are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 5 (duty to nominate or appoint responsible officers)(3)—
(a)in paragraph (2), after “NHS England” insert “, the Department of Health and Social Care and the General Council(4)”;
(b)in paragraph (4), for “NHS England” substitute “the designated body”.
(3) In regulation 10 (connection between designated bodies and medical practitioners)—
(a)omit paragraph (1)(za)(5);
(b)in paragraph (1)(ba)(6), for “the United Kingdom Health Security Agency” substitute “the Department of Health and Social Care”.
(4) In regulation 11 (responsibilities of responsible officers: prescribed connection under regulation 10), in paragraph (6)(7)—
(a)in the brackets after “regulation 5(2)”, omit “NHS England:”;
(b)after “to be determined by”, for “NHS England” substitute “the designated body that nominated or appointed the responsible officer”.
(5) For regulation 12 (connection between designated bodies and medical practitioners who are responsible officers)(8) substitute—
“Connection between designated bodies and medical practitioners who are responsible officers
12.—(1)A registered medical practitioner who is a responsible officer for a body referred to in column 1 of the table has, for the purposes of section 45B of the Act, a prescribed connection with the body, department or persons referred to in the corresponding entry in column 2 of that table.
Table
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (Body of which a registered medical practitioner is a responsible officer) | (Body with which there is a prescribed connection) |
1.Any Government department or executive agency of a Government department in England, except— (a)the Department of Health and Social Care; (b)the United Kingdom Health Security Agency; and (c)the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. | 1.NHS England. |
2.Any non-departmental public body in England. | 2.NHS England. |
3.NHS England, except a registered medical practitioner who holds the post of National Medical Director of NHS England. | 3.NHS England. |
4.Any body in England not falling within the preceding entries, except the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management. | 4.NHS England. |
5.Any body in Scotland. | 5.The Scottish Ministers. |
6.Any body in Wales. | 6.The Welsh Ministers. |
(2)A registered medical practitioner who is a responsible officer for—
(a)the Department of Health and Social Care, except a medical practitioner who holds the post of Chief Medical Officer of that Department;
(b)the United Kingdom Health Security Agency; or
(c)the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency,
has, for the purposes of section 45B of the Act, a prescribed connection with the Department of Health and Social Care.
(3)A registered medical practitioner who is a responsible officer for—
(b)the Department of Health and Social Care and who holds the post of Chief Medical Officer of that Department;
(c)the Scottish Ministers;
(e)the Welsh Ministers; or
(f)NHS England and who holds the post of National Medical Director of NHS England,
has, for the purposes of section 45B of the Act, a prescribed connection with the General Council.”.
(6) In regulation 13 (responsibilities of responsible officers: prescribed connection under regulation 12), in paragraph (6)(9)—
(a)in the brackets after “regulation 5(2)”, omit “NHS England:”;
(b)after “to be determined by”, for “NHS England” substitute “the designated body who nominated or appointed the responsible officer”.
(7) In the Schedule (designated bodies)(10)—
(a)after paragraph 14B, insert—
“(14C)The General Council.”;
(b)omit paragraph 23 (bodies which have functions under the Act in relation to the regulation of medical practitioners).
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Karin Smyth
Minister of State
Department of Health and Social Care
26th February 2025
1983 c. 54; Part VA (sections 45A to 45F) was inserted by section 119 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14). ‘Prescribed’ means prescribed by regulations under section 45A; and the ‘appropriate authority’ means the Secretary of State in relation to England and Wales and Scotland (section 45F).
S.I. 2010/2841; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2011/2581, S.I. 2012/1641, S.I. 2013/391, S.I. 2018/378, S.I. 2019/248, S.I. 2021/974, S.I. 2022/634, S.I. 2023/368 and S.I. 2023/1071.
Regulation 5 was substituted by regulation 3(2) of S.I. 2013/391; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2023/1071 and S.I. 2023/368.
“General Council” has the meaning given in section 1(1) of the Medical Act 1983.
Paragraph (1)(za) was inserted by regulation 3(4)(a) of S.I. 2013/391; amended by S.I. 2023/1071.
Paragraph (1)(ba) was inserted by regulation 3(4)(e) of S.I. 2013/391; amended by S.I. 2021/974.
Regulation 11(6) was substituted by regulation 3(5) of S.I. 2013/391; amended by S.I. 2023/1071.
Regulation 12 was substituted by regulation 3(6) of S.I. 2013/391; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2018/378, S.I. 2023/368 and S.I. 2023/1071.
Regulation 13(6) was substituted by regulation 3(7) of S.I. 2013/391; amended by S.I. 2023/1071.
The Schedule to the 2010 Regulations has been amended by S.I. 2011/2581, S.I. 2013/391, S.I. 2018/378, S.I. 2019/248, S.I. 2022/634, S.I. 2023/368 and S.I. 2023/1071.