Dispute resolution
Medical disputes
The Appeal Unit is responsible for handling contractual disputes between GPs and their local Primary Care Trusts under the NHS (General Medical Services Contract) Regulations 2004 and the NHS (Personal Medical Services Agreements) Regulations 2004. Decision letters setting out the decisions made in cases decided over the past six months are published on this website.
Dental disputes
Since April 2006, the Appeal Unit has also been handling contractual disputes between general dental practitioners and Primary Care Trusts under the NHS (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005 and the General Dental Services and Personal Dental Services Transitional Provisions Order 2005 (the new dental contract). Decision letters are published on this website in the same way as for medical decisions.
How decisions are made
Depending on the complexity of the case, decisions will be made either on the papers (usually by a single officer on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health) or by an Adjudicator Panel appointed to hear representations and decide the case. A Panel will usually have a legally-qualified Chair with two “Wing” members, one professional and one lay person.