S.I. No. 37/1994 - Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations, 1994.
S.I. No. 37 of 1994. | ||
HEALTH (OUT-PATIENT CHARGES) REGULATIONS, 1994. | ||
The Minister for Health in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 5 of the Health Act, 1947 (No. 28 of 1947) and section 56 (5) of the Health Act, 1970 (No. 1 of 1970) as substituted by section 1 of the Health (Amendment) Act, 1987 (No. 3 of 1987) with the consent of the Minister for Finance hereby makes the following regulations: 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations, 1994. 2. In these Regulations:— | ||
"the Act" means the Health Act, 1970 ; | ||
"the Minister" means the Minister for Health; | ||
"out-patient services" means services as defined in section 56 (1) of the Act. 3. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of March, 1994. 4. (1) A charge shall be made for out-patient services provided under subsection (2) of section 56 of the Act at a designated accident and emergency or casualty department for persons other than: | ||
( a ) persons with full eligibility; | ||
( b ) women receiving services in respect of motherhood; | ||
( c ) children up to the age of six weeks; | ||
( d ) children suffering from diseases or disabilities prescribed under section 56 (3) of the Act; | ||
( e ) children in respect of defects noticed at a health examination held pursuant to the service provided under section 66 of the Act; | ||
( f ) persons receiving services for the diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases prescribed under Part IV of the Health Act, 1947 ; | ||
( g ) persons undergoing tests for the purpose of ascertaining the presence of a disease, defect or condition that may be prescribed under section 70 of the Act; | ||
( h ) persons who are deemed, pursuant to section 45 (7) of the Act, to be persons with full eligibility in relation to an out-patient service; | ||
( i ) persons who have a letter of referral from a registered medical practitioner; | ||
( j ) persons whose attendance results in admission as an in-patient. | ||
(2) The charge under article 4 (1) shall be £12 in respect of the first visit for any episode of care. 5. The Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations, 1987 ( S.I. No. 115 of 1987 (as amended by article 2 of the Health (Out-Patient Charges) (Amendment) Regulations, 1993 ( S.I. No. 51 of 1993 )) are hereby revoked. | ||
GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health, this 28th | ||
day of February 1994. | ||
BRENDAN HOWLIN, | ||
Minister for Health. | ||
The Minister for Finance consents to these regulations. | ||
GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance, this 28th | ||
day of February 1994. | ||
BERTIE AHERN, | ||
Minister for Finance. | ||
EXPLANATORY NOTE. | ||
These Regulations provide that instead of the £6 charge for out-patient services introduced in March 1993 a charge of £12 shall be introduced from 1 March 1994 in respect of attendance at accident and emergency or casualty departments where the person concerned has not been referred by a medical practitioner. The charge shall not apply where such an attendance results in hospital admission. The usual exemptions and hardship provision shall continue to apply. |