Health Services Act 1976

23 General interpretation, amendments and repeals

(1) In this Act—

• " the 1946 Act " means the [1946 c. 81.] National Health Service Act 1946;

• " the 1947 Act " means the [1947 c. 27.] National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947;

• " the National Health Service Acts " means, for England and Wales, the National Health Service Acts 1946 to 1973 or, for Scotland, the National Health Service (Scotland) Acts 1947 to 1973 ;

• " the national health services " means the health services established in England and Wales and in Scotland respectively in pursuance of section 1 of the principal Act;

• " NHS hospital " means a hospital vested in the Secretary of State;

• " the principal Act " means, for England and Wales, the National Health Service Act 1946 or, for Scotland, the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947 ;

and, unless the context otherwise requires, any expression to which a meaning is assigned by the principal Act for the purposes of that Act has that meaning also for the purposes of this Act.

(2) Except so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to an enactment is a reference to it as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

(3) In section 1(2) of the principal Act (services to be provided free of charge, except where any provision of the National Health Service Acts expressly provides for the making and recovery of charges), for the words from " except" onwards there shall be substituted the words " except in so far as the making and recovery of charges is expressly provided for by or under any enactment, whenever passed ".

(4) In the provisions of the 1946 Act specified in Part I of Schedule 4 to this Act references to that Act or to the National Health Service Acts shall include references to this Act in its application to England and Wales; and in the provisions of the 1947 Act specified in Part II of that Schedule references to that Act or to the National Health Service Acts shall include references to this Act in its application to Scotland.

(5) Section 57(6) of the [1973 c. 32.] National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973 (power to modify the Health Service Acts in connection with their consolidation) shall have effect as if the reference to those Acts included Part II of this Act.

(6) The enactments mentioned in Schedule 5 to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column 3 of that Schedule.