National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978

58 Accommodation and services for private non-resident patients

(1) If the Secretary of State is satisfied, in the case of a health service hospital that it is reasonable to do so—

(a) he may, subject to section 63, authorise accommodation and services at the hospital in question to be made available to such extent as he may determine, and

(b) that accommodation and those services shall be available in connection with the treatment, in pursuance of arrangements made by a medical practitioner or dental practitioner serving (whether in an honorary or paid capacity) on the staff of any such hospital, of private patients of that practitioner otherwise than as resident patients.

Those patients shall be patients who give an undertaking (or for whom one is given) to pay, in respect of the accommodation and services, such charges as the Secretary of State may determine, and he may recover those charges.

(2) The Secretary of State may under subsection (1) determine different charges for different accommodation and for different services, and in relation to different circumstances.

(3) No accommodation and no services shall be so made available under subsection (1) as to prejudice persons availing themselves of services at the hospital otherwise than as private patients.