This Order brings into force section 39 of the Care Standards Act 2000 (‘the 2000 Act’) in relation to Wales. Section 39 amends section 21 of the Registered Homes Act 1984 (‘the 1984 Act’) so as to extend the meaning of ‘nursing home’. The effect of the amendment is to require a person carrying on premises used or intended to be used by a dental practitioner for the purposes of treating patients under general anaesthesia to register those premises as a ‘nursing home’ under Part II of the 1984 Act, unless the exemption applies. The exemption applies if the premises are used by a dental practitioner for the purposes of treating patients under general anaesthesia for the National Health Service.

Section 39 comes into force on 31st July 2001 only for the purpose of enabling applications for registration to be made in respect of newly registerable premises. The remainder of it comes into force on 31st August 2001.

The Order also makes transitional provisions. Newly registerable premises may continue to operate unregistered after the 31st August 2001, whilst the registration process is ongoing, so long as they have made an application for registration before that date.