Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (General Dental Services) Amendment Regulations 1992 and shall come into force-

(a)for the purposes of regulations 2 and 3(1), on 1st July 1992;

(b)for all other purposes, on 8th July 1992.

(2) In these Regulations, "the principal Regulations" means the National Health Service (General Dental Services) Regulations 1992(2).

Substitution of regulation 35 of the principal Regulations

2. For regulation 35 of the principal Regulations there shall be substituted the following regulation:-

"Transitional provisions

35. Until 8th July 1992 paragraph 17 of Schedule 1 shall have effect as if in head (k) of sub-paragraph (2) of that paragraph the words "or the removal of the fractured portion of a natural crown, where its dissection from supporting soft tissues is necessary prior to the provision of a permanent restoration" were omitted.".

Amendment of Schedules to the principal Regulations

3.-(1) In Part III of Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (terms of service - occasional treatment), in paragraph 17(2)-

(a)head (a) shall be omitted; and

(b)in head(s) for "(a)" there shall be substituted "(b)".

(2) In Part II of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations (prior approval treatment)-

(a)in paragraphs 1 and 2 for "£600" there shall be substituted "£200";

(b)in paragraph 3(b) for the words "and retention" there shall be substituted the words, "retention and the extraction of any tooth for orthodontic purposes".

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Dental Services) Regulations 1992 ( "the principal Regulations") which provide for the arrangements under which general dental services are provided under Part II of the National Health Service Act 1977.

Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations is amended to remove an examination from the items of treatment which may be provided as occasional treatment (regulation 3(1)). A new transitional provision is substituted in the principal Regulations in consequence of the removal of this item, and so as to postpone, from 1st July 1992 to 8th July 1992, the inclusion of certain forms of palliative treatment among items of occasional treatment (regulation 2).

Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations is amended to reduce (from £600 to £200) the amount specified as the maximum cost or likely cost of care and treatment which a dentist may undertake without seeking the prior approval of the Dental Practice Board (regulation 3(2)(a)), and to provide that the cost of the extraction of any tooth for orthodontic purposes is not to be included in the cost of care and treatment for the purposes of prior approval (regulation 3(2)(b)).