Statutory Instruments
1996 No. 583

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, ENGLAND AND WALES
The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1996

Made
5th March 1996

Laid before Parliament
6th March 1996

Coming into force
1st April 1996

The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of powers conferred on him by sections 77 and 126(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977(1) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations—

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 1st April 1996.

(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989(2).

Nurse prescribing

2.  In regulation 2(1A) of the principal Regulations(3) (which describes nurse prescribers who may issue prescription forms), in each of sub-paragraphs (a)(iii) and (b)(ii), for the words from “a fund-holding practice” to “effect” substitute “a doctor whose name is included in a medical list”.

Amendment of amounts specified in the principal Regulations

3.  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) (the subject matter of which is indicated in column (2)), there shall be substituted the amount specified in relation to it in column (4).

Transitional provisions

4.  Where, on or after 1st April 1996—

(a)any appliance specified in Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations is supplied pursuant to an order given before that date; or

(b)any pre-payment certificate is granted under regulation 8 of the principal Regulations pursuant to an application under that regulation which was received before that date,

the principal Regulations shall have effect in relation to that supply or, as the case may be, that grant as if regulation 3 of these Regulations had not come into force.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health.

Gerald Malone
Minister of State,
Department of Health
5th March 1996

Regulation 3

SCHEDULEAMOUNTS SUBSTITUTED IN THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

Provision in the principal Regulations
Subject matter
Old amount
New amount

Regulation 3–
Supply of drugs and appliances by chemists–

paragraph (1)(a)
charge for elastic hosiery–

per item
£5.25
£5.50

per pair
£10.50
£11.00

paragraph (1)(c)
charge for drugs, and for appliances not specified in paragraph 1(a)
£5.25
£5.50

paragraph (3)
charge for drugs supplied by instalments
£5.25
£5.50

Regulation 4–
Supply of drugs and appliances by doctors–

paragraph 1(a)
charge for elastic hosiery–

per item
£5.25
£5.50

per pair
£10.50
£11.00

paragraph 1(b)
charge for drugs, and for appliances not specified in paragraph 1(a)
£5.25
£5.50

paragraph (3)
charge for drugs supplied by instalments
£5.25
£5.50

Regulation 5–

Supply of drugs and appliances to out-patients by Health Authorities and NHS trusts–

paragraph (1)(a)
charge for elastic hosiery–

per item
£5.25
£5.50

per pair
£10.50
£11.00

paragraph (1)(c)
charge for tights
£10.50
£11.00

paragraph (1)(d)
charge for drugs and for appliances not specified in paragraph (1)(a) or (c), or in Schedule 1
£5.25
£5.50

paragraph (3)
charge for drugs supplied by instalments
£5.25
£5.50

Regulation 8(5)
Pre-payment certificate for–

4 months
£27.20
£28.50

12 months
£74.80
£78.40

Schedule 1–
Charges for fabric supports and wigs–

surgical brassiere
£19.00
£19.25

abdominal or spinal support
£27.00
£28.30

stock modacrylic wig
£44.00
£46.00

partial human hair wig
£115.00
£120.00

full bespoke human hair wig
£167.00
£175.00

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations further 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 and NHS trusts to out-patients.
Amendments made to the principal Regulations by regulation 2 alter the specified description of a nurse or health visitor mentioned in the definition of “nurse prescriber” in Regulation 2(1) of the Principal Regulations to include a nurse employed by a medical practitioner whose name is included in a medical list.
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 £5.25 to £5.50. The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £5.25 to £5.50 each (from £10.50 to £11.00 per pair) and that for tights from £10.50 to £11.00. The charges for partial human hair wigs and modacrylic wigs are increased from £115.00 to £120.00 and from £44.00 to £46.00 respectively. The charge for full human hair wigs is increased from £167.00 to £175.00. The charge for fabric supports is increased from £27.00 to £28.30 and the charge for surgical brassieres is increased from £19.00 to £19.25. The sums prescribed for the grant of pre-payment certificates are increased from £27.20 to £28.50 for a four month certificate and from £74.80 to £78.40 for a twelve month certificate.
These Regulations also make transitional arrangements in regulation 4 in respect of pre-payment certificates and appliances ordered before the coming into force of these Regulations.


(1)
1977 c. 49; see section 128(1) as amended by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19) (“the 1990 Act”), section 26(2)(g) and (i), for the definitions of“prescribed”and “regulations”. Section 126(4) was amended by the 1990 Act, section 65(2).

(2)
S.I. 1989/419, amended by S.I. 1990/537, 1991/579, 1992/365, 1993/420, 1994/690, 1994/2402, 1995/643 and 1995/2737.

(3)
Paragraph (1A) of regulation 2 was inserted by S.I. 1994/2402.