1990 No. 537
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, ENGLAND AND WALES
The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1990
Made 8th March 1990
Laid before Parliament 9th March 1990
Coming into force 1st April 1990

The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of powers conferred by sections 77, 83, 83A and 128(1) of the National Health Service Act 1977 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:–
1977 c. 49; section 83 was amended by paragraph 64 of Schedule 1 to the Health Services Act 1980 (c. 53) and by Schedule 8 to the Health and Social Security Act 1984 (c. 48); section 83A was inserted by section 14(1) of the Social Security Act 1988 (c. 7) and amended by paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 to the Health and Medicines Act 1988 (c. 49); in section 128(1) see the definitions of “prescribed” and “regulations”.

1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 1st April 1990.
2 In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989.
S.I.1989/419.

2 Amendment of the principal Regulations
1 In regulation 6(1)(e)(ii) of the principal Regulations (exemption from charges for persons suffering from specified disorders)–
(a) the words “for which specific substitution therapy is essential” shall be omitted;
(b) for the words from “Addison’s disease” to “hypoadrenalism,” there shall be substituted the words “forms of hydroadrenalism (including Addison’s disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential,”;
(c) after the words “diabetes mellitus,” there shall be inserted the words “except where treatment is by diet alone,”.
2 For each amount specified in column (3) of the Schedule to these Regulations, where it appears in the provision of the principal Regulations specified in relation to it in column (1) of that Schedule (the subject matter of which is indicated in column (2) of that Schedule), there shall be substituted the amount specified in relation to it in column (4) of that Schedule.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health
Virginia Bottomley Minister of State, Department of Health 8th March 1990

SCHEDULE AMOUNTS SUBSTITUTED IN THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS
Regulation 2(2)
(1) Provision in the principal Regulations	(2) Subject matter	(3) Old amount	(4) New amount
Regulation 3 –	supply of drugs and appliances by chemists –
paragraph (1)(a)	charge for items of elastic hosiery –
	each	 £2.80	 £3.05
	per pair	 £5.60	 £6.10
paragraph (1)(b)	monthly charge for oxygen concentrator	 £2.80	 £3.05
paragraph (1)(c)	charge for drugs, and for appliances not specified in sub-paragraph (a) or (b)	 £2.80	 £3.05
paragraph (3)	drugs supplied by instalments	 £2.80	 £3.05
Regulation 4 –	Supply of drugs and appliances by doctors –
paragraph (1)(a)	charge for items of elastic hosiery –
	each	 £2.80	 £3.05
	per pair	 £5.60	 £6.10
paragraph (1)(b)	charge for drugs, and for appliances not specified in sub-paragraph (a)	 £2.80	 £3.05
paragraph (3)	drugs supplied by instalments	 £2.80	 £3.05
Regulation 5 –	Supply of drugs and appliances by health authorities –
paragraph (1)(a)	charge for items of elastic hosiery –
	each	 £2.80	 £3.05
	per pair	 £5.60	 £6.10
paragraph (1)(c)	charge for tights	 £5.60	 £6.10
paragraph (1)(d)	charge for drugs, and for appliances not specified in sub-paragraphs (a) or (c), or in Schedule 1	 £2.80	 £3.05
paragraph (3)	drugs supplied by instalments	 £2.80	 £3.05
Regulation 8	Pre-payment certificates of exemption –
	for  4 months	£14.50	£15.80
	for 12 months	£40.00	£43.50
Schedule 1	Charges for fabric supports and wigs –
	surgical brassiere	£12.00	£13.00
	abdominal or spinal support	£16.00	£17.00
	stock modacrylic wig	£24.00	£26.00
	partial human hair wig	£62.00	£67.00

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989 which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances supplied by doctors and chemists providing pharmaceutical services, and by health authorities to out-patients.
Regulation 2(1) amends the list of disorders which entitle sufferers to exemption from charges under those Regulations.
Amendments made by regulation 2(2) increase the charge for items on prescription or supplied to out-patients, and the monthly charge in respect of an oxygen concentrator supplied by a chemist, from £2.80 to £3.05. The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £2.80 to £3.05 each (from £5.60 to £6.10 per pair) and for tights from £5.60 to £6.10. The charges for partial human hair wigs and modacrylic wigs are increased from £62.00 to £67.00 and from £24.00 to £26.00 respectively. The charge for fabric supports is increased from £16.00 to £17.00 and the charge for surgical brassieres is increased from £12.00 to £13.00. The sums prescribed for the grant of pre-payment certificates of exemption from charges are increased from £14.50 to £15.80 for a four month certificate and from £40.00 to £43.50 for a twelve month certificate.