The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Charge for Drugs and Appliances) Regulation 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 and NHS trusts to out-patients.

Amendments made to the principal Regulations by regulation 2 and the Schedule increase the charge for items on prescription or supplied to out-patients from £5.65 to £5.80. The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £5.65 to £5.80 each (from £11.30 to £11.60 per pair) and that for tights from £11.30 to £11.60. The charges for partial human hair wigs and modacrylic wigs are increased from £123.00 to £126.00 and from £47.00 to £48.00 respectively. The charge for full human hair wigs is increased from £179.50 to £184.50. The charge for fabric supports is increased from £29.05 to £29.50. The sums prescribed for the grant of pre-payment certificates are increased from £29.30 to £30.10 for a four month certificate and from £80.50 to £82.70 for a twelve month certificate.

These Regulations also make transitional arrangements in regulation 3 in respect of pre-payment certificates applied for and appliances ordered before the coming into force of these Regulations.