reg 8 Powers of vice-chairman
Where– (a) a member of a Primary Care Trust is appointed to be vice-chairman under regulation 7, and (b) the chairman of the trust has died or has ceased to hold office, or is unable to perform his duties as chairman owing to illness, absence from England and Wales or any other cause, the vice-chairman shall act as chairman until a new chairman is appointed or the existing chairman resumes his duties, as the case may be; and references to the chairman in Schedule 2 shall, so long as there is no chairman able to perform his duties, be taken to include references to the vice-chairman.