The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 2001

Amendment of regulation 9 of the principal Regulations

7.—(1) In paragraph (5) in regulation 9 of the principal Regulations (pre-payment certificates) in paragraph (5) for “£31.40” there shall be substituted “£31.90” and for “£86.20” there shall be substituted “£87.60”.

(2) In paragraph (6) for “paragraphs (7) and (8)” in regulation 9 of the principal Regulations there shall be substituted “paragraphs (13) to (15)”.

(3) For paragraphs (7) and (8) in regulation 9 of the principal Regulations there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(7) Where payment of a prescribed sum has been made and where on or after 1st April 2001 the person in respect of whom the payment was made dies or becomes resident in a hospital and thereafter dies during the relevant period as defined in paragraph (9) an application for a refund may be made, by or on behalf of that person or his estate, in accordance with paragraphs (13) to (15) in respect of each complete month following the date on which the person died or became resident in a hospital.

(8) The refund referred to in paragraph (7) shall be calculated as follows—

(a)in the case of a pre-payment certificate valid for 4 months, one quarter of the prescribed sum paid for each complete month during which the pre-payment certificate is or was valid;

(b)in the case of a pre-payment certificate valid for 12 months, one twelfth of the prescribed sum paid for each complete month during which the pre-payment certificate is or was valid;

and for the purposes of these calculations a complete month is a month beginning on the monthly anniversary of the date on which the pre-payment certificate became valid and ending on the date immediately preceding that date in the following month.

(9) In paragraph (7) “the relevant period” means the period of validity of the pre-payment certificate excluding the month in respect of which an application under paragraph (6) may be made.

(10) Where payment of a prescribed sum in respect of a pre-payment certificate valid for 12 months has been made and where on or after 1st April 2001 and during the relevant period defined in paragraph (12), the person in respect of whom the payment was made—

(a)becomes a person to whom any of the provisions of regulation 7(1)(b) to (f) applies; or

(b)becomes a person entitled to remission under regulation 3 of the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations,

an application for a refund may be made, by or on behalf of that person or his estate in accordance with paragraphs (13) to (15).

(11) The refund referred to in paragraph (10) shall be for the sum which is the difference between the prescribed sum paid and the sum which was prescribed for a pre-payment certificate valid for four months on the date that the prescribed sum was paid.

(12) In paragraph (10) the “relevant period” means the period of 3 months immediately following the month in respect of which an application under paragraph (6) may be made.

(13) Applications under this regulation shall be made to the Health Authority which received the prescribed sum and shall be accompanied by the certificate (where granted) and a declaration in support of the claim and any repayment shall be made in such manner and subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may determine.

(14) Subject to paragraph (15) an application under this regulation shall be made where the person in respect of whom the payment of the prescribed sum was made—

(a)dies or becomes resident in a hospital and thereafter dies, within 24 months of the date of his death; or

(b)has a pre-payment certificate valid for 4 months and becomes a person;

(i)to whom any of the provisions of regulation 7(1)(b) to (f) apply, or

(ii)entitled to remission under regulation 3 of the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations,

within four months of the date on which the pre-payment certificate became valid; or

(c)has a pre-payment certificate valid for 12 months and becomes a person;

(i)to whom any of the provisions of regulation 7(1)(b) to (f) apply; or

(ii)entitled to remission under regulation 3 of the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations,

within seven months of the date on which the pre-payment certificate became valid; or

(d)becomes resident in hospital and remains there until the expiry of the pre-payment certificate within 3 months of the date of expiry.

(15) Where an application under this regulation is made outside the time limits specified in paragraph (14) in respect of a death which occurs on or after 1st April 2001 or in respect of a person who becomes a person to whom paragraph 14(b) to (d) applies on or after 1st April 2001, the Health Authority shall accept it if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the delay was for good cause.”