Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989 (“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 health authorities to out-patients.
Amendments made to the principal Regulations by regulation 3, and the Schedule, increase the charge for items on prescription, or supplied to out-patients, from £3.40 to £3.75. The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £3.40 to £3.75 each (from £6.80 to £7.50 per pair). The charge for tights is increased from £6.80 to £7.50. The charges for partial human hair wigs and modacrylic wigs are increased from £74.50 to £82.00 and from £29.00 to £32.00 respectively. The charge for full human hair wigs is increased from £108.00 to £119.00. The charge for fabric supports is increased from £19.00 to £21.00 and the charge for surgical brassieres is increased from £14.50 to £16.00. The sums prescribed for the grant of pre-payment certificates of exemption from charges are increased from £17.60 to £19.40 for a four months certificate and from £48.50 to £53.50 for a twelve months certificate.
These Regulations remove the provision in the principal Regulations for a charge to be made by chemists in respect of an oxygen concentrator (regulation 4), and also remove the definitions of “oxygen concentrator” and “oxygen concenrator services” (regulation 2).