(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations amend the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989 (“the Travelling Expenses Regulations”), and the Dental Charges Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989 (“the Dental Charges Regulations”).
Regulation 2 changes the reference in Regulation 2 of the Travelling Expenses Regulations from Department of Health and Social Services to Department for Social Development which is now the relevant Department for the purposes of the definition of “appropriate office”.
The Travelling Expenses Regulations provide that the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (S.R. 1987 No. 459) (“Income Support Regulations”) are to be used to calculate a patient’s resources for the purposes of establishing entitlement to exemptions from Health Service charges. Schedule 1 to the Travelling Expenses Regulations then provides a list of modifications to the Income Support regulations to customise them for that purpose. Regulation 3 of these regulations adds further modifications to Schedule 1 to the Travelling Expenses Regulations, as a consequence of the Income Support regulations having been amended.
Regulation 4 amends the Dental Charges Regulations by inserting a definition of “registered midwife”.
Regulation 5 inserts a new regulation 8A into the Dental Charges Regulations. This provides a statutory basis for people, who are exempt from dental charges, to claim a refund of those charges if they have paid them in error.
Regulation 6 amends Schedule 2 to the Dental Charges Regulations, by permitting a registered midwife to certify that a woman is pregnant, so that the woman can then claim exemption from dental charges (prior to this amendment, the certificate could only be issued by a registered medical practitioner).