The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services Section 17C Agreements) (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Fees and charges for essential services

7.—(1) Where a person applies to the provider for the provision of essential services and claims to be on that provider’s list of patients, but fails to produce that person’s medical card on request and the provider has reasonable doubts about that person’s claim, the provider shall provide any necessary treatment and shall be entitled to demand and accept a reasonable fee in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) subject to the provision for repayment contained in paragraph (3).

(2) The provider may demand and accept a reasonable fee when the provider treats a patient under sub-paragraph (1) for any treatment given, if the provider gives the patient a receipt.

(3) Where a person from whom a provider received a fee under sub-paragraph (1) applies to the Health Board for a refund within 14 days of payment of the fee (or such longer period not exceeding one month as the Health Board may allow, if it is satisfied that the failure to apply within 14 days was reasonable) and the Health Board is satisfied that the person was on the provider’s list of patients when the treatment was given, the Health Board may recover the amount of the fee from the provider, by deduction from the provider’s remuneration or otherwise, and shall pay that amount to the person who paid the fee.