§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances general practitioners will be obliged to complete a Criminal Records Bureau certification form; and what details will need to be provided to complete such a form. [61423]
§ Mr. HuttonSection 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 amended section 115 of the Police Act 1997 to permit the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to provide enhanced criminal record certificates in respect of general practitioners who are included or seeking inclusion to a health authority medical, supplementary or services list.
The purpose of this amendment was to ensure that the health authority in assessing the doctor's suitability to provide primary care services on their behalf had the fullest possible report from the CRB. Criminal record certificates might well help to keep an unsuitable practitioner off the health authority lists and out of primary care.
The circumstances in which these certificates will have to be provided by general practitioners will be specified in regulations. Before such regulations are made we will consult the general practitioners' committee of the British Medical Association on the content.
The application form that has to be completed by any member of the public applying to the CRB for a criminal record certificate is prescribed in SI 2002/233 the Police Act (Criminal Records) Regulations 2002—schedule 2. A copy is available in the Library.