National Health Service Act 1977

[F1 122A Recovery of other charges and payments. E+W+S

(1) Where goods or services to which this section applies are provided and either—

(a) any charge payable by any person under this Act in respect of the provision of the goods or services is reduced, remitted or repaid, but that person is not entitled to the reduction, remission or repayment, or

(b) any payment under this Act is made to, or for the benefit of, any person in respect of the cost of obtaining the goods or services, but that person is not entitled to, or to the benefit of, the payment,

the amount mentioned in subsection (2) below is recoverable summarily as a civil debt from the person in question by the responsible authority.

(2) That amount—

(a) in a case within subsection (1)(a) above, is the amount of the charge or (where it has been reduced) reduction,

(b) in a case within subsection (1)(b) above, is the amount of the payment.

(3) Where two or more persons are liable under section 122(1) above or this section to pay an amount in respect of the same charge or payment, those persons shall be jointly and severally liable.

(4) For the purposes of this section, the circumstances in which a person is to be treated as not entitled to a reduction, remission or repayment of a charge, or to (or to the benefit of) a payment, include in particular those in which it is received (wholly or partly)—

(a) on the ground that he or another is a person of a particular description, where the person in question is not in fact of that description,

(b) on the ground that he or another holds a particular certificate, when the person in question does not in fact hold such a certificate or does hold such a certificate but is not entitled to it,

(c) on the ground that he or another has made a particular statement, when the person in question has not made such a statement or the statement made by him is false.

(5) In this section and section 122B below, “responsible authority” means—

(a) in relation to the recovery of any charge under section 122(1) above in respect of the provision of goods or services to which this section applies, the person by whom the charge is recoverable,

(b) in relation to the recovery by virtue of this section of the whole or part of the amount of any such charge, the person by whom the charge would have been recoverable,

(c) in a case within subsection (1)(b) above, the person who made the payment.

(6) But the Secretary of State may by directions provide for—

(a) the functions of any responsible authority of recovering any charges under this Act in respect of the provision of goods or services to which this section applies,

(b) the functions of any responsible authority under this section and section 122B below,

to be exercised on behalf of the authority by another health service body.

(7) This section applies to the following goods and services—

(a) dental treatment and appliances provided in pursuance of this Act,

(b) drugs and medicines provided in pursuance of this Act,

(c) the testing of sight,

(d) optical appliances,

(e) any other appliances provided in pursuance of this Act.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 122A-122C inserted (1.11.1999 for E. and 9.2.2001 for W.) by 1999 c. 8, ss. 39(3), 67(1); S.I. 1999/2793, art. 2(1)(a), Sch. 1; S.I. 2001/270, art. 2

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 122A-122C extended (1.11.1999 for E. and 9.2.2001 for W.) by 1999 c. 8, ss. 39(3), 67(1); S.I. 1999/2793, art. 2(1)(a), Sch. 1; S.I. 2001/270, art. 2

C2 S. 122A: Power to apply (with modifications) conferred (11.5.2001 for certain purposes, otherwise 8.3.2002 for E. and 1.7.2002 for W.) by 2001 c. 15, ss. 35(2)(c), 70(2) (with ss. 64(9), 65(4)); S.I. 2002/1095, art. 2(4); S.I. 2002/1475, art. 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1