Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003

153 Information contained in certificates E+W+S

(1) A certificate must specify the amount (or amounts) for which the person to whom it is issued is liable under section 150(2).

(2) The amount (or amounts) to be specified is (or are) to be that (or those) set out in, or determined in accordance with, regulations, reduced if applicable in accordance with subsection (3) or regulations under subsection (10).

(3) If a certificate relates to a claim made by or on behalf of an injured person—

(a) in respect of which a court in England and Wales or Scotland has ordered a reduction of damages in accordance with section 1 of the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945 (c. 28),

(b) in respect of which a court in Northern Ireland has ordered a reduction of damages in accordance with section 2 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1948 (c. 23),

(c) in respect of which a court in a country other than England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland has ordered a reduction of damages under any provision of the law of that country which appears to the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers (as the case may be) to correspond to section 1 of the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945,

(d) in respect of which an officer of a court in England and Wales or Northern Ireland has entered or sealed an agreed judgement or order which specifies—

(i) that the damages are to be reduced to reflect the injured person’s share in the responsibility for the injury in question, and

(ii) the amount or proportion by which they are to be so reduced,

(e) in the case of which the parties to any resulting action before a court in Scotland have executed a joint minute which specifies—

(i) that the action has been settled extra-judicially, and

(ii) the matters mentioned in paragraph (d)(i) and (ii),

(f) in respect of which a document has been made under any provision of the law of a country other than England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland—

(i) which appears to the Secretary of State to correspond to an agreed judgement or order entered or sealed by an officer of a court in England and Wales, and

(ii) which specifies the matters mentioned in paragraph (d)(i) and (ii), or

(g) in the case of which a document has been made under any provision of the law of a country other than England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland—

(i) which appears to the Scottish Ministers to correspond to a joint minute executed by the parties to a resulting action before a court in Scotland specifying that the action has been settled extra-judicially, and

(ii) which specifies the matters mentioned in paragraph (d)(i) and (ii),

the amount (or amounts) specified in the certificate is (or are) to be that (or those) which would be so specified apart from this subsection, reduced by the same proportion as the reduction of damages.

(4) If a certificate relates to an injured person who has not received NHS treatment at a health service hospital or been provided with NHS ambulance services as a result of the injury, it must indicate that no amount is payable to the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers (as the case may be) by reference to that certificate.

(5) Regulations under subsection (2) may, in particular, provide—

(a) that the amount, or the aggregate amount, specified in a certificate is not to exceed a prescribed sum,

(b) for different amounts to be specified in respect of different circumstances or areas,

(c) for cases in which an injured person receives treatment at two or more health service hospitals,

(d) for cases in which an injured person receives treatment at one or more health service hospitals and is provided with NHS ambulance services,

(e) for cases in which liability under section 150(2) is to be apportioned between two or more persons making compensation payments to or in respect of the same injured person in consequence of the same injury,

(f) for cases in which a fresh certificate is issued or a certificate is revoked as a result of a review under or by virtue of section 156 or an appeal under section 157 or 159,

(g) for the amount specified in a certificate issued by the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers to be adjusted to take into account any amount for which the person to whom the certificate is issued is liable under section 150(2), in respect of the same injured person in consequence of the same injury, in accordance with a certificate issued by the Scottish Ministers or the Secretary of State (respectively),

(h) for any matter requiring determination under or in consequence of the regulations to be determined by the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers (as the case may require),

and in the case of paragraph (e) may make such provision by modifying this Part.

(6) Any reference in subsection (5)(a) or (b) to any amount (or amounts) specified in a certificate is to the amount (or amounts) which would be so specified apart from subsection (3) or regulations under subsection (10).

(7) Regulations under subsection (2) which provide for cases mentioned in subsection (5)(e) may (among other things) provide in the case of each compensator for—

(a) determining, or re-determining, the amount for which he is liable under section 150(2),

(b) giving credit for amounts already paid, and

(c) the payment by any person of any balance or the recovery from any person of any excess.

(8) Regulations under subsection (2) which provide for cases mentioned in subsection (5)(f) may (among other things) provide in the case of any compensator for the matters mentioned in paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (7).

(9) For the purposes of subsection (10), a claim made by or on behalf of an injured person is a qualifying claim if—

(a) it is settled by mediation of a prescribed description, and

(b) the damages payable under the settlement are to be reduced to reflect the injured person’s share in the responsibility for the injury in question.

(10) Regulations may make provision as to the circumstances in which the amount (or amounts) specified in a certificate relating to a qualifying claim is (or are) to be that (or those) which would be so specified apart from the regulations, reduced by the same proportion as the reduction of damages.

(11) A person to whom a certificate is issued is entitled to such particulars of the manner in which any amount (or amounts) specified in the certificate has (or have) been determined as may be prescribed, if he applies to the Secretary of State or the Scottish Ministers (as the case may require) for those particulars.

(12) Regulations under subsection (2) may be made so as to apply to any certificate issued after the time the regulations come into force, other than one relating to a compensation payment made before that time.

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Commencement Information

I1 S. 153 partly in force; s. 153 in force at Royal Assent for certain purposes, see s. 199(1)(4)