The Charges for Drugs and Appliances (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2006 No. 145

HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES

The Charges for Drugs and Appliances (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Made

20th March 2006

Coming into operation

1st April 2006

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety(1), makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 98 and 106 of, and Schedule 15 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(2), with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Charges for Drugs and Appliances (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and shall come into operation on 1 April 2006.

(2) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Charges for Drugs and Appliances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(3).

Amendment of regulation 3 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 3 of the principal Regulations (supply of drugs and appliances by chemists) –

(a) in paragraph (1)(a) and (b) and paragraph (3) for “£6.50” there shall be substituted “£6.65”; and

(b) in paragraph (1)(a) for “£13.00” there shall be substituted “£13.30”.

Amendment of regulation 4 of the principal Regulations

3.  In regulation 4 of the principal Regulations (supply of drugs and appliances by doctors) –

(a) in paragraph (1)(a) and (d) and paragraph (3) for “£6.50” there shall be substituted “£6.65”; and

(b) in paragraph (1)(a) for “£13.00” there shall be substituted “£13.30”.

Amendment of regulation 5 of the principal Regulations

4.  In regulation 5 of the principal Regulations (supply of drugs and appliances by a Board or a HSS trust) –

(a) in paragraph (1)(a) and (d) and paragraph (3) for “£6.50” there shall be substituted “£6.65”; and

(b) in paragraph (1)(a) and (c) for “£13.00” there shall be substituted “£13.30”.

Amendment of regulation 9 of the principal Regulations

5.—(1) Regulation 9 of the principal Regulations (pre-payment certificates) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph (5) for “£33.90” there shall be substituted “£34.65” and for “£93.20” there shall be substituted “£95.30”.

Amendment of Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations

6.  For Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations there shall be substituted the following —

“SCHEDULE 1 CHARGES FOR FABRIC SUPPORTS AND WIGS

Column(1) Specified Appliance	Column (2) Specified Charge
Surgical Brassiere	£22.30
Abdominal or Spinal Support	£33.75
Stock Modacrylic Wig	£55.10
Partial Human Hair Wig	£145.55
Full Bespoke Human Hair Wig	£212.85”

Transitional provisions

7.  Where, on or after 1st April 2006 —

(a) any appliance specified in Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations is supplied pursuant to an order given before that date; or

(b) any pre-payment certificate is granted under regulation 9 of the principal Regulations pursuant to an application under that Regulation which was received before that date,

the principal Regulations shall have effect in relation to that supply or, as the case may be, that grant as if regulations 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of these regulations had not come into operation.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 20 March 2006

L.S.

C. Jendoubi

A Senior Officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby approves the foregoing Regulations

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 20 March 2006

L.S.

Dr. Mary McIvor

A Senior Officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Charges for Drugs and Appliances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the principal Regulations”), which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances supplied by doctors and chemists providing pharmaceutical services, and by hospitals and HSS trusts to out-patients.

The charge for each item on prescription is increased from £6.50 to £6.65. The sums prescribed for the grant of pre-payment certificates of exemption from prescription charges are increased from £33.90 to £34.65 for a 4 month certificate and from £93.20 to £95.30 for a 12 month certificate.

The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £6.50 to £6.65 for each item (from £13.00 to £13.30 per pair) and for tights from £13.00 to £13.30.

The charge for a partial human hair wig is increased from £142.30 to £145.55 and for a stock modacrylic wig from £53.90 to £55.10. The charge for a full bespoke human hair wig is increased from £208.10 to £212.85. The charge for a surgical brassiere is increased from £21.80 to £22.30 and for an abdominal or spinal support from £33.00 to £33.75.

Transitional arrangements are made in respect of pre-payment certificates, and appliances ordered, before 1st April 2006 (regulation 7).

(1)

See S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(6)

(2)

S.I 1972/1265 (N.I. 14); the relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1986/2229 (N.I.24) Article 14, S.I. 1988/2249 (N.I .24) Article 7 and S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1) Article 34 and Part II of Schedule 5

(3)

S.R. 1997 No. 382; the relevant amending instrument is S.R. 2005 No. 97