The National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1996

Insertion of regulation 5B into the principal Regulations

5.  After regulation 5A of the principal Regulations (payment of travelling expenses) there shall be inserted the following regulation—

“Payment to persons resident in the Highlands and Islands

5B.— (1) A person of the description prescribed in paragraph (3) who is not a person of a description prescribed by regulation 4 is entitled to payment of travelling expenses incurred or to be incurred in making a journey between his normal place of residence in the Highlands and Islands and a hospital in the United Kingdom for the purpose of availing himself of services provided under the care of a hospital consultant in pursuance of the Act, provided that—

(a) the distance travelled from the person’s home (or place of residence while working) to the hospital must be 30 miles or more, or involve a journey by sea of more than 5 miles; and

(b) the person shall make a contribution towards the travelling expenses of a level to be determined by the Secretary of State.

(2) The travelling expenses referred to in paragraph (1) include—

(a) those of the return journey; and

(b) those of a companion in a case where it is necessary on medical grounds that the person referred to in paragraph (1) should be accompanied.

(3) Paragraph (1) applies to a person who, at the time when the expenses referred to in paragraph (1) are incurred, is normally resident or working on a long-term basis in the area comprising—

(a) the local government areas of Highland, Western Isles, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands;

(b) that part of the local government area of Argyll and Bute which is the area of the former Argyll and Bute District Council and the islands of Arran, Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae; and

(c) in the local government area of Moray, the parishes of Aberlour, Cabrach, Dallas, Dyke, Edinkillie, Forres, Inveravon, Kinloss, Kirkmichael, Knockando, Mortlach, Rafford and Rothes.”.