The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1993

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 1989 (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances supplied by doctors and chemists providing pharmaceutical services, and by health authorities and NHS trusts to out-patients.

Amendments made to the principal Regulations by regulation 2, and the Schedule, increase the charge for items on prescription or supplied to out-patients from £3.75 to £4.25. The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £3.75 to £4.25 each (from £7.50 to £8.50 per pair) and that for tights from £7.50 to £8.50. The charges for partial human hair wigs and modacrylic wigs are increased from £82.00 to £93.00 and from £32.00 to £36.00 respectively. The charge for full human hair wigs is increased from £119.00 to £135.00. The charge for fabric supports is increased from £21.00 to £24.00 and the charge for surgical brassieres is increased from £16.00 to £18.00. The sums prescribed for the grant of prepayment certificates of exemption from charges are increased from £19.40 to £22.00 for a four month certificate and from £53.50 to £60.60 for a twelve month certificate.

These Regulations also amend the principal Regulations by specifying a time limit of3 months within which applications for repayment of charges are to be made(regulation 2(1)); and make transitional arrangements in respect of pre-payment certificates and appliances ordered before the coming into force of these Regulations.