12Free oral health assessments and dental examinationsS
(1)Oral health assessments and dental examinations carried out on or after 1st April 2006 in accordance with arrangements made under section 17C of the 1978 Act, arrangements for the provision of general dental services under Part II of that Act or a pilot scheme under Part I of the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 (c. 46) (the “1997 Act”) are to be free of charge; and accordingly those Acts are amended as follows.
(2)In the 1978 Act—
(a)in section 70A(2) (personal dental services as respects which regulations under section 70A(1) may provide for the making and recovery of charges), for the words “other than those” substitute “except—
(a)oral health assessments and dental examinations carried out on or after 1st April 2006; and
(b)those services”;
(b)in section 71 (charges for general dental services under Part II)—
(i)in subsection (1), after the words “not being—” insert—
“(a)oral health assessments and dental examinations carried out on or after 1st April 2006;”;
(ii)in subsection (2), after “services” where it first occurs insert “ (but not being oral health assessments or dental examinations carried out on or after 1st April 2006) ”.
(3)In the 1997 Act, in section 20 (charges for dental treatment in accordance with pilot schemes)—
(a)in subsection (1), for the words from “dental” to the end substitute “personal dental services provided in accordance with pilot schemes except—
(a)those services to which section 78(1A) of the 1977 Act or (as the case may be) section 70(1A) of the 1978 Act applies; and
(b)oral health assessments and dental examinations carried out on or after 1st April 2006.”;
(b)subsection (2) is repealed.
Commencement Information
I1S. 12 in force at 7.3.2006 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2006/121, art. 3(a), Sch. 1
I2S. 12 in force at 1.4.2006 in so far as not already in force by S.S.I. 2005/492, art. 3(e), Sch. 3