National Health Service Act 2006

Power to charge generally

172 Charges for drugs, medicines or appliances, or pharmaceutical services

(1) Regulations may provide for the making and recovery in such manner as may be prescribed of such charges as may be prescribed in respect of—

(a) the supply under this Act (otherwise than under Chapter 1 of Part 7) of drugs, medicines or appliances (including the replacement and repair of those appliances), and

(b) such of the pharmaceutical services referred to in that Chapter as may be prescribed.

(2) Regulations under this section may in particular make provision in relation to the supply of contraceptive substances and appliances under paragraph 8 of Schedule 1.

(3) This section does not apply in relation to the provision of any relevant dental service (within the meaning of section 176).

173 Exemptions from general charging

(1) No charge may be made under regulations under section 172(1) in respect of—

(a) the supply of any drug, medicine or appliance for a patient who is resident in hospital,

(b) the supply of any drug or medicine for the treatment of sexually transmitted disease (otherwise than in the provision of primary medical services or in accordance with a pilot scheme or an LPS scheme),

(c) the supply of any appliance (otherwise than in pursuance of paragraph 8(d) of Schedule 1) for a person who is under 16 years of age or is under 19 years of age and receiving qualifying full-time education, or

(d) the replacement or repair of any appliance in consequence of a defect in the appliance as supplied.

(2) In subsection (1)(c) “qualifying full-time education” means full-time instruction at a recognised educational establishment or by other means accepted as comparable by the Secretary of State.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)—

(a) “recognised educational establishment” means an establishment recognised by the Secretary of State as being, or as comparable to, a school, college or university, and

(b) regulations may prescribe the circumstances in which a person must, or must not, be treated as receiving full-time instruction.

174 Pre-payment certificates

(1) Regulations under section 172(1) may provide for the grant, on payment of such sums as may be prescribed, of a pre-payment certificate.

(2) A pre-payment certificate is a certificate which confers on the person to whom it is granted exemption from charges otherwise chargeable under the regulations in respect of drugs, medicines and appliances supplied during such period as may be prescribed.

(3) Different sums may be prescribed in relation to different periods.

175 Charges in respect of non-residents

(1) Regulations may provide for the making and recovery, in such manner as may be prescribed, of such charges as the Secretary of State may determine in respect of the services mentioned in subsection (2).

(2) The services are such services as may be prescribed which are—

(a) provided under this Act, and

(b) provided in respect of such persons not ordinarily resident in Great Britain as may be prescribed.

(3) Regulations under this section may provide that the charges may be made only in such cases as may be determined in accordance with the regulations.

(4) The Secretary of State may calculate charges under this section on any basis that he considers to be the appropriate commercial basis.