The Recovery of Health Services Charges (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2015 No. 186

Health Care Charges

The Recovery of Health Services Charges (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Made

25th March 2015

Coming into operation

1st April 2015

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 5(2) and (5) and 19(3) of the Recovery of Health Services Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 2006(1):

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Recovery of Health Service Charges (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2015.

(2) In these Regulations—

“certificate” means a certificate issued under Article four of the Recovery of Health Services Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 2006; and

“the principal Regulations” means the Recovery of Health Services Charges (Amounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(2).

Amendment of Regulation 2 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 2 of the principal Regulations (amount of health care charges)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(a) for “£192” substitute “£195”;

(b) in paragraph (1)(b)(i) for “£637” substitute “£647”;

(c) in paragraph (1)(b)(ii) for “£783” substitute “£796”; and

(d) in paragraph (4) for “£46,831” substitute “£47,569”.

Saving

3.  Notwithstanding regulation 2, the principal Regulations shall continue to have effect in respect of a certificate relating to an incident which occurred before 1st April 2015 as if the amendments made by these Regulations had not been made.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 25th March 2015

Peter Toogood

A senior officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

The Recovery of Health Services Charges (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 provides for a scheme for the recovery of charges in cases where an injured person who receives a compensation payment in respect of his injury has received health care hospital treatment or ambulance services. The charges are specified in certificates issued by the Department for Social Development and are payable by persons who pay compensation to the injured person. The charges in each case are calculated by reference to a tariff of charges provided for by the Recovery of Health Services Charges (Amounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (“the principal Regulations”).

Amendments made to the principal Regulations by regulation 2 increase the charges in respect of injuries which occur on or after 1st April 2015. Where the injured person is provided with health care ambulance services, the charge is increased from £192 to £195 for each occasion. Where the injured person receives health care treatment, but is not admitted to hospital, the charge is increased from £637 to £647. The daily charge for health care in-patient treatment is increased from £783 to £796. The maximum charge in respect of an injury is increased from £46,831 to £47,569.

Regulation 3 is a saving provision which maintains the current charges for incidents occurring before 1st April 2015.

(1)

S.I. 2006/1944 (N.I. 13), See Article 2 for the definition of “prescribed”

(2)

S.R. 2006 No. 507; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 2008 No. 90, S.R. 2009 No. 121, S.R. 2010 No. 117, S.R. 2011 No. 103, S.R. 2012 No. 111, S.R. 2013 No. 74 and S.R. 2014 No. 108. Words substituted by section 32 of, and paragraph 1(1)(b), with paragraph 1(3), of Schedule 6 to, the Health and Social Care (Reform) Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 c. 1