Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

1997 No. 111

HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES

Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Made

27th February 1997

Coming into operation

1st April 1997

The Department of Health and Social Services in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 98 and 106 of, and Schedule 15 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(1) and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 1st April 1997.

(2) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Dental Charges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989(2).

Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (citation, commencement and interpretation)—

(a) the following definition shall be added in the appropriate place in alphabetical order—

• ““qualifying full-time education” means full-time instruction—

  (a)

  at an educational establishment recognised by the Department as being, or as comparable to, a school, college or university; or

  (b)

  by other means accepted as comparable by the Department;”;

(b) in the definition of “capitation arrangement”, “continuing care arrangement”, “emergency”, “estimate”, “treatment” and “treatment on referral” there shall be substituted for the words “General Dental Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1975” the words “General Dental Services Regulations”;

(c) in the definition of “Committee” there shall be substituted for the words “regulation 8” the words “regulation 30”;

(d) in the definition of “Statement of Dental Remuneration” there shall be substituted for the words “regulation 18” the words “regulation 19”.

Amendment of regulation 3 of the principal Regulations

3.  In regulation 3(2)(e) of the principal Regulations (Charges for other general dental services) there shall be substituted for the words “Schedule 1 (terms of service) to the General Dental Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1975” the words “Schedule 2 (terms of service) to the General Dental Services Regulations”.

Amendment of regulation 4 of the principal Regulations

4.  In regulation 4(5) of the principal Regulations (calculation of charges) for “£325·00” there shall be substituted “£330·00”.

Amendment of Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations

5.  In Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (Exemptions — Categories and Evidence) at column (1) paragraph 2 the words “(within the meaning of regulation 2 of the Dental Services Regulations(a))” shall be deleted.

Revocation

6.  Regulation 2 of the Health and Personal Social Services Dental Charges (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(3) is hereby revoked.

Application of regulations

7.  The amendment made by regulation 4 applies only in relation to the supply of any dental appliances or the provision of other dental services in pursuance of a contract or arrangement for the provision of general dental services made on or after 1st April 1997.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services on

L.S.

Joan Dixon

Assistant Secretary

27th February 1997.

The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby approves the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on

L.S.

J. G. Sullivan

Assistant Secretary

27th February 1997.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Dental Charges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989 (“the principal Regulations”) which relate to charges for dental treatment provided and dental appliances supplied as part of health service general dental services.

Regulations 2, 3 and 5 make minor amendments to the definitions in regulation 1(2) and 3(2) of, and Schedule 2 to, the principal Regulations.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 4(5) of the principal Regulations to increase from £325 to £330 the maximum charge which a patient may be required to pay towards the cost of his treatment or appliance under general dental services.

Regulation 7 provides that these new charges shall apply only where the arrangements for treatment or supply of a dental appliance is made on or after 1st April 1997.

(1)

S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14), as amended by S.I. 1986/2229 (N.I. 24) Article 14, S.I. 1988/2249 (N.I. 24) Article 7 and S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1) Article 34 and Part II of Schedule 5; there are other amendments which are not relevant

(2)

S.R. 1989 No. 111; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1990 No. 342 and S.R. 1996 No. 106

(3)

S.R. 1996 No. 106