Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2020 No. 25

Health And Personal Social Services

The Provision of Health Services to Persons Not Ordinarily Resident (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

Made

6th March 2020

Coming into operation

7th March 2020

The Department of Health(1) in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 42, 106(b) and 107(6) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(2), in conjunction with the Department of Finance(3), makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Provision of Health Services to Persons Not Ordinarily Resident (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 and shall come into operation on 7th March 2020.

Amendment to Schedule 1 to the Provision of Health Services to Persons Not Ordinarily Resident Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

2.  In Schedule 1 (Diseases for which no charge is to be made for treatment) to the Provision of Health Services to Persons Not Ordinarily Resident Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015(4) after “Cholera” insert the following entry:

“Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 6th March 2020

(L.S.)

Chris Matthews

A senior officer of the Department of Health

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 6th March 2020

(L.S.)

Emer Morelli

A senior officer of the Department of Finance

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These regulations amend the Provision of Health Services to Persons Not Ordinarily Resident Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) which make provision as to the entitlement of, and exemption from charges for, services forming part of health services which may be provided to visitors to Northern Ireland.

Regulation 4(1)(d) of the 2015 Regulations provides that no charge shall be made in respect of services forming part of the health services that are provided to a visitor for treatment in respect of a disease listed in Schedule 1 to the 2015 Regulations. Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends that Schedule to insert an entry for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The effect is that a visitor who is being treated in a hospital in Northern Ireland for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) will be exempt from charges for any Health Service treatment received in respect of that condition.