{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-reorganisation-act-1973-repealed-2861995/section-55",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-reorganisation-act-1973-repealed-2861995/section-55.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1973/32",
  "legislation_title": "National Health Service Reorganisation Act 1973 (repealed 28.6.1995)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-reorganisation-act-1973-repealed-2861995",
  "path": "section/55",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "55",
  "heading": "Interpretation etc.",
  "text": "(1) Except where the contrary intention appears, in this Act the following expressions have the following meanings—\n“the appointed day” means such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint;\n“Board of Governors” means a body constituted in pursuance of section 11 of the principal Act as the Board of Governors of a teaching hospital;\n“functions” includes powers and duties;\n“the health service” means the health service established in pursuance of section 1 of the principal Act;\n“the Health Service Acts” means the National Health Service Acts 1946 to 1968 and this Act;\n“local health authority” includes a joint board constituted in pursuance of section 19 of the principal Act and a body exercising delegated functions of such an authority in pursuance of section 46 of the Local Government Act 1958;\n“modifications” includes additions, omissions and amendments;\n“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations;\n“preserved Board” has the meaning assigned to it by section 15(6) of this Act;\n“the principal Act” means the National Health Service Act 1946;\n“regulations” means, subject to subsection (2) of the following section, regulations made by the Secretary of State;\n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\nand any other expression to which a meaning is assigned by Part IV or section 79(1) of the principal Act has that meaning in this Act.\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it is hereby declared that in this Act “property” includes land.\n(3) Any reference in this Act to any enactment is a reference to it as amended or applied by or under any other enactment including this Act.",
  "extent": "E+W+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Definitions repealed by National Health Service Act 1977 (c. 49), Sch. 16"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words repealed by Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30), Sch. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1958 c. 55."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1946 c. 81."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/32/section/55",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:47:15.419432+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}