Clause 38 - Control of entry regulations
Health and Social Care Bill
2:45 pm
Mr John Denham (Minister of State, Department of Health; Southampton, Itchen, Labour)
I think that I can give the hon. Gentleman the reassurance that he seeks. We have already discussed the relationship between proposed LPS pilots and existing contractors. Clause 38 seeks to deal with the relationship between LPS pilot schemes that are already in operation and new applications under the national arrangements. If a pharmacy moves from national arrangements to an LPS pilot scheme it will typically still remain in competition with other pharmacies, and it would be odd if such pharmacies were afforded less protection than they had before.
Clause 38 is designed for the circumstances that the hon. Gentleman described. If a pharmacy takes advantage of LPS and believes that it has particular strengths to move in that direction, it should not lose the protection that it would have had under the national arrangements. Clause 38 will ensure that pilot scheme pharmacies are taken into account when health authorities decide whether existing services in the neighbourhood are adequate.