Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2000 (the “principal Regulations”) which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances supplied under the National Health Service Act 1977 by doctors and chemists providing pharmaceutical services and by Health Authorities, NHS trusts and Primary Care Trusts and at Walk in Centres and in certain circumstances where a local authority acts in partnership with an NHS body. Provision for dental charges and optical charges is made separately.

These Regulations change the requirements placed on doctors in relation to charges recovered. They make provision for doctors to retain any charges they are required to make under the Regulations for the provision of pharmaceutical services and for any such charges to be set off against any sums payable to them by a Health Authority in respect of the provision of general medical services or personal medical services.