National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Wales) Regulations 2001

Supply of drugs and appliances by Health Authorities and NHS trusts

5.—(1) A Health Authority or an NHS trust which supplies to a patient for the purposes of his treatment, drugs, otherwise than for administration at a hospital, or appliances, shall, subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), make and recover from the patient—

(a) in respect of an item of elastic hosiery a charge of £6.00, that is to say a charge of £12.00 per pair;

(b) in respect of an appliance specified in column (1) of Schedule 1, the charge specified in relation to it in column (2) of that Schedule;

(c) in respect of tights, a charge of £12.00;

(d) in respect of the supply of each other appliance and of each quantity of a drug, a charge of £6.00.

(2) Where a charge is paid under paragraph (1) the person making the payment shall on doing so sign a declaration in writing that the relevant charge has been paid.

(3) No charge shall be made and recovered under this regulation from a patient who is exempt—

(a) under paragraph 1(1)(a) to (d) of Schedule 12 to the Act.

(b) under regulation 8, or

(c) by reason of being entitled to remission under regulation 3 of the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations,

and who, in the case described in paragraph 1(1)(c) of Schedule 12 to the Act and in the cases described in sub-paragraphs (b) and (c), completes a declaration of entitlement to such exemption or remission and provides such evidence of entitlement as the Health Authority or NHS trust may reasonably require.

(4) A partially remitted charge shall be made and recovered under this regulation from a patient who is entitled to partial remission under regulation 8(4) if a declaration in writing is provided that the relevant part of the charge has been paid and a declaration of entitlement and such other evidence of entitlement, to partial remission as may be required, is provided.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation, where a drug ordered on a single written direction is supplied by instalments, the charge of £6.00 payable for that drug shall be payable upon the supply of the first instalment.

(6) A Health Authority or NHS trust which makes and recovers a charge under this regulation shall, if so required by the patient, give him a receipt for the amount received on a form which shall contain forms of declaration in support of an application for repayment and information as to whom an application for repayment shall be made.