National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978

108 Interpretation and construction

(1) In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

• " the Agency " has the meaning indicated in section 10;

• " area medical committee ", " area dental committee ", " area nursing and midwifery committee", " area pharmaceutical committee" and " area optical committee " have the meanings indicated in section 9(2);

• " certified midwife " means a person who is for the time being certified under the [1951 c. 54.] Midwives (Scotland) Act 1951 ;

• "the Dental Estimates Board " has the meaning indicated in section 4;

• " dental practitioner" means a person registered in the dentists register under the [1957 c. 28.] Dentists Act 1957;

• " designated medical officer " means an officer designated under section 14;

• " dispensing optician " means a person who is registered in the register kept under section 2 of the [1958 c. 32.] Opticians Act 1958 of dispensing opticians or a body corporate enrolled in the list kept under section 4 of that Act or such bodies carrying on business as dispensing opticians;

• " education authority " has the same meaning as in the [1962 c. 47.] Education (Scotland) Act 1962 ;

• " equipment " includes any machinery, apparatus or appliance, whether fixed or not, and any vehicle;

• " full-time education in a school " means full-time instruction in a school within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1962 or the [1944 c. 31.] Education Act 1944 ;

• " functions " includes powers and duties ;

• " governing body ", in relation to any hospital to which section 89 applies, includes any body, whether corporate or unincorporate, having the control and management of the hospital or any part of it or otherwise carrying on the business of the hospital or any part of it;

• " Health Board " means a board constituted under section 2;

• " the health service " means the health service established in pursuance of section 1 of the [1947 c. 27.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947;

• " health service hospital " means a hospital vested in the Secretary of State under this Act;

• " Health Services Board " means the body established by section 1 of the [1967 c. 83.] Health Services Act 1976;

• " hospital" means—

  (a)

  any institution for the reception and treatment of persons suffering from illness,

  (b)

  any maternity home, and

  (c)

  any institution for the reception and treatment of persons during convalescence or persons requiring medical rehabilition, and any institution for providing dental treatment maintained in connection with a dental school,

  and includes clinics, dispensaries and out-patient departments maintained in connection with any such home or institution, and "hospital accommodation" shall be construed accordingly;

• " the Hospital Trust " has the meaning indicated in section

• " illness " includes mental disorder within the meaning of the [1960 c. 61.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 and any injury or disability requiring medical or dental treatment or nursing ;

• " local authority " means a regional, islands or district council ;

• "local consultative committee " means a committee recognised by the Secretary of State under section 9(1);

• " local health council " has the meaning indicated in section 7;

• " medical " includes surgical;

• " the Medical Practices Committee " has the meaning indicated in section 3 ;

• " medical practitioner " means a fully registered person within the meaning of the [1956 c. 76.] Medical Act 1956;

• " medicine " includes such chemical re-agents as are included in a list for the time being approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 27;

• " modifications " includes additions, omissions and amendments ;

• " national consultative committees " has the meaning indicated in section 6 ;

• " officer " includes servant;

• " ophthalmic optician " means a person registered in either of the registers kept under section 2 of the [1958 c. 32.] Opticians Act 1958 of ophthalmic opticians or a body corporate enrolled in the list kept under section 4 of that Act of such bodies carrying on business as ophthalmic opticians;

• " patient " includes an expectant or nursing mother and a lying-in woman;

• " the Planning Council " has the meaning indicated in section 5;

• " prescribed " means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State under this Act;

• " property " includes rights ;

• " registered nurse " means a nurse registered in the register of nurses kept under the [1951 c. 55.] Nurses (Scotland) Act 1951 ;

• " registered pharmacist " means a pharmacist registered in the register of pharmaceutical chemists ;

• " regulations " means regulations made by the Secretary of State under this Act;

• " relevant endowment " has the meaning indicated in section 11;

• " the Research Trust " has the meaning indicated in section 12;

• " Scottish Committee " means the committee constituted under section 1(3) of the [1976 c. 83.] Health Services Act 1976.

• " state hospital " has the same meaning as in the [1960 c. 61.] Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960 ;

• " superannuation benefits " means annual superannuation allowances, gratuities and periodical payments payable on retirement, death or incapacity, and similar benefits;

• " the Tribunal " has the meaning indicated in section 29 ;

• " the Trust " has the meaning indicated in section 11;

• " University Liaison Committee " means a committee such as is referred to in section 8 ;

• " voluntary " means not carried on for profit and not provided by a local or public authority ;

(2) References in this Act to the purposes of a hospital shall be construed as referring both to the general purposes of the hospital and to any specific purpose of the hospital.

(3) Any reference in this Act to any enactment is a reference to it as amended or applied by or under any other enactment including this Act.

(4) In this Act, except where otherwise indicated,—

(a) a reference to a numbered Part, section or Schedule is a reference to the Part or section of, or the Schedule to, this Act so numbered ;

(b) a reference in a section to a numbered subsection is a reference to the subsection of that section so numbered;

(c) a reference in a section, subsection or Schedule to a numbered or lettered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph of that section, subsection or Schedule so numbered or lettered; and

(d) a reference to any provision of an Act (including this Act) includes a reference to any Schedule incorporated in the Act by that provision.