Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Health Services Charges) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2004.

(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the Road Traffic (Health Services Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001(2).

Amendment of regulation 4 of the principal Regulations

2.  Regulation 4 of the principal Regulations (amount of health services charges – incidents on or after 2nd July 1997) shall be amended as follows –

(a)in paragraph (2) –

(i)in sub-paragraph (a) for the words from “amount of £440” to “£452” there is substituted “amount of £473”;

(ii)in sub-paragraph (b) for the words from “sum of £541” to the end there is substituted “amount of £582 for each day, or part day, of admission.”;

(b)in paragraph (5) for the words from “shall be £30,000” to the end there is substituted “shall be £34,800.”.

Saving

3.  Notwithstanding regulation 2, the principal Regulations shall continue to have effect in respect of a certificate relating to an incident which occurred before 1st April 2004 as if the amendments made by these Regulations had not been made.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Road Traffic (Health Services Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for a scheme for the recovery from insurers and certain other persons of charges in connection with the health services treatment of road traffic casualties.

Amendments made to the principal Regulations by regulation 2 increase the charges. Where a traffic casualty received health services treatment but was not admitted to hospital in respect of an incident which occurred on or after 1st April 2004 the charge is increased from £452 to £473. The daily charge for health services in-patient treatment in respect of an incident which occurred on or after 1st April 2004 is increased from £556 to £582. The maximum charge for in-patient treatment in respect of an incident which occurred on or after 1st April 2004 is increased from £33,000 to £34,800.

Regulation 3 is a saving provision which maintains the current charges for incidents occurring before 1st April 2004.