National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41)

Part 1 E+W Promotion and provision of the health service in England

The Secretary of State and the health service in England E+W

[F1 1 Secretary of State's duty to promote comprehensive health service E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must continue the promotion in England of a comprehensive health service designed to secure improvement—

(a) in the physical and mental health of the people of England, and

(b) in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental illness.

(2) For that purpose, the Secretary of State must exercise the functions conferred by this Act so as to secure that services are provided in accordance with this Act.

(3) The Secretary of State retains ministerial responsibility to Parliament for the provision of the health service in England.

(4) The services provided as part of the health service in England must be free of charge except in so far as the making and recovery of charges is expressly provided for by or under any enactment, whenever passed.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 1 substituted (1.10.2012 for specified purposes) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 1, 306(4); S.I. 2012/1831, art. 2(2)

[F2 1G Secretary of State's duty as to reporting on and reviewing treatment of providers E+W

(1) The Secretary of State must, within one year of the passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, lay a report before Parliament on the treatment of NHS health care providers as respects any matter, including taxation, which might affect their ability to provide health care services for the purposes of the NHS or the reward available to them for doing so.

(2) The report must include recommendations as to how any differences in the treatment of NHS health care providers identified in the report could be addressed.

(3) The Secretary of State must keep under review the treatment of NHS health care providers as respects any such matter as is mentioned in subsection (1).

(4) In this section—

(a) “NHS health care providers” means persons providing or intending to provide health care services for the purposes of the NHS, and

(b) “health care services for the purposes of the NHS” has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.]

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 1G inserted (1.6.2012) by Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7), ss. 8, 306(4); S.I. 2012/1319, art. 2(2)