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1 1970

HEALTH ACT, 1970

Chapter III

General Medical Services

General practitioner medical and surgical service.

58. —(1) A health board shall make available without charge a general practitioner medical and surgical service for persons with full eligibility.

(2) Regulations relating to the service under this section shall be made with the consent of the Minister for Finance and shall provide that, insofar as it is considered practicable by the Minister, a choice of medical practitioner shall be offered, subject to conditions prescribed in the regulations, to persons availing themselves of the service under this section.

Drugs, medicines and appliances.

59. —(1) A health board shall make arrangements for the supply without charge of drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances to persons with full eligibility.

(2) When a person with limited eligibility, or a person with full eligibility who does not avail himself of the service under subsection (1), satisfies the chief effective officer of the health board that, in respect of a period and to an amount determined by regulations made by the Minister, he has incurred expenditure on drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances which were obtained on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner and were for the treatment of that person or his dependants, the health board shall make arrangements to meet the balance of the cost, or a proportion thereof (as may be prescribed) of the person's being supplied in respect of that period with such drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances.

(3) A health board may make arrangements for the supply without charge of drugs, medicines or medical and surgical appliances to persons suffering from a prescribed disease or disability of a permanent or long-term nature.

(4) Regulations relating to the service under this section shall be made with the consent of the Minister for Finance.

Home nursing.

60. —A health board shall, in relation to persons with full eligibility and such other categories of persons and for such purposes as may be specified by the Minister, provide without charge a nursing service to give to those persons advice and assistance on matters relating to their health and to assist them if they are sick.

Home help service.

61. —(1) A health board may make arrangements to assist in the maintenance at home of—

(a) a sick or infirm person or a dependant of such a person,

(b) a woman availing herself of a service under section 62, or receiving similar care, or a dependant of such a woman,

(c) a person who, but for the provision of a service for him under this section, would require to be maintained otherwise than at home,

either (as the chief executive officer of the board may determine in each case) without charge or at such charge as he considers appropriate.

(2) In making a determination under subsection (1), the chief executive officer of a health board shall comply with any directions given by the Minister.