# Authorised Person (MGPS)

The Authorised Person (MGPS) is the person a healthcare organisation appoints, under HTM 02-01 (2026), the NHS England guidance, to take day-to-day responsibility for managing its medical gas pipeline system, including planning work and issuing permits to work.

HTM 02-01 (2026) Part B says it is essential to identify one individual for the day-to-day management of the [MGPS](https://library.ultracontrolo.com/glossary/mgps/), and adds (MGPS) to the title to avoid confusion with other Authorised Persons, such as the one for high-voltage installations. Formal responsibility rests with the Executive Manager, while the Authorised Person keeps effective day-to-day responsibility.

Authorised Persons are appointed in writing by the Designated Person on the recommendation of an Authorising Engineer (MGPS), who should be independent of the organisation submitting the candidates and should review the MGPS management systems, including the permit-to-work system, in an annual audit. The maintenance contractor that provides the Competent Persons should not provide Authorised Person cover, there should be enough Authorised Persons to give cover at all times, and the HTM training schedule gives the Authorised Person a comprehensive course followed by refresher training every 3 years.

The Authorised Person, with the Quality Controller (MGPS), should decide whether a system is taken into or out of use, makes sure work is done only by specialist contractors registered to BS EN ISO 9001 and/or BS EN ISO 13485 with a defined scope, and should be consulted before any medical equipment that will connect to the pipeline is bought.

## Sources

- [HTM 02-01 (2026) Part B: Operational management, chapter 5 (functional responsibilities) and chapter 8 (training), NHS England](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/health-technical-memorandum-02-01-medical-gas-pipeline-systems-part-b-operational-management-aug-26.pdf)

Reviewed: 2026-10-22. Ultra Controlo engineering. https://library.ultracontrolo.com/glossary/authorised-person-mgps/