The National Health Service (Existing Liabilities Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 1999

Made4th May 1999

Laid before Parliament5th May 1999

Coming into force26th May 1999

The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of powers conferred on him by section 126(4) of the National Health Service Act 19771 and section 21 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 19902 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, and with the consent of the Treasury, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement1

These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Existing Liabilities Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 26th May 1999.

Amendment of regulation 6 of the National Health Service (Existing Liabilities Scheme) Regulations 19962

In regulation 6 of the National Health Service (Existing Liabilities Scheme) Regulations 19963 (payments under the scheme)—

a

in paragraph (1), for the words “pay to that body an amount” substitute “pay to or on behalf of that body an amount”;

b

in paragraph (2), after sub-paragraph (a), insert the following—

aa
any payment which falls to be made by the eligible body where that body has not complied with any condition imposed by the Secretary of State relating to the claim;
ab
any payment into court which the eligible body has made without the prior consent in writing of the Secretary of State;

c

in paragraph (3)

i

omit the words “to an eligible body”;

ii

in sub-paragraphs (a), (b)(iii) and (c), after the words “costs incurred by”, and in paragraph (d)4, after those words appear for the second time, insert the words “or on behalf of”;

ii

in sub-paragraph (b)(i), after the word “paid”, insert the words “or payable”;

iii

in sub-paragraph (e)5, for the words “incurred by either party” substitute the words “incurred by the person making the claim and any such costs incurred by or on behalf of the eligible body”;

iv

after sub-paragraph (e) add the following sub-paragraph—

f
where the eligible body has decided to make a payment into court, the amount of that payment;

Insertion of regulation 6A into the National Health Service (Existing Liabilities Scheme) Regulations 19963

After regulation 6 add the following regulation—

Payments on Account6A
1
Where, in any year, a payment (including a payment into court) falls to be made by an eligible body in connection with a claim in respect of which a payment may become payable by the Secretary of State under regulation 6, the Secretary of State may make a payment on account of any amount which may become payable by him under that regulation.
2
Such payment on account may be made to or on behalf of the eligible body.
3
Where the amount of any such payment on account exceeds the amount of any payment the Secretary of State subsequently determines to make under regulation 6 the excess shall be recoverable from the eligible body.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health.

HaymanParliamentary Under Secretary of State,Department of Health27th April 1999

Jim DowdJane KennedyTwo of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury4th May 1999

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Existing Liabilities Scheme) Regulations 1996 which established a Scheme whereby bodies providing NHS services may make provision for meeting liabilities incurred before 1st April 1995 to third parties in connection with personal injury arising out of negligence in the carrying out of their functions.

In particular they provide for the Secretary of State to make payments to third parties on behalf of eligible bodies. They also make minor amendments relating to the matters the Secretary of State shall consider in determining payments under the Scheme and provide for additional circumstances where he may refuse to meet any liabilities. Provision is also made, by the insertion of a new regulation 6A, enabling the Secretary of State to make payments on account of any payment which may become payable by him under regulation 6.