Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 Explanatory Notes

Miscellaneous

Section 20 - Amendment of Road Traffic Act 1988 and Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999: payment for treatment of traffic casualties

108.This amendment is consequential on a change in UK legislation that broadened the definition of “road” for statutory motor insurance purposes. It amends sections 157(1)(a) and 158(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and section 1(1)(a) of the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 to the same effect to cover accidents that happen in public places as well as on the open road.

109.The Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/785), which came into effect on 5 April 1999, provide a scheme that enables the NHS to recover the costs incurred as a result of the treatment of road traffic casualties. The charges, recoverable from insurers and certain other persons, are payable only following an agreed compensation settlement.

Section 21 - Amendment of 1978 Act: schemes for meeting losses and liabilities etc. of certain health bodies

110.The amendment adds the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland to the list of bodies covered by section 85B(2) of the 1978 Act. Section 85B provides for the establishment of schemes to meet specified losses and liabilities of the duly listed health bodies.

111.The amendment will enable the Mental Welfare Commission to be covered by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risk Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS), which was introduced by the National Health Service (Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme) (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (SSI 2000/54) on 1 April 2000. The scheme provides financial risk sharing arrangements for specified health bodies in respect of their clinical and certain other liabilities.

Back to top