Run a healthcare business
- 1 step
UK Act of Parliament
1999
United Kingdom
Health Act 1999
At a glance
Enforced by
GOC, GPhC, HCPC, NMC, UK Government
What's here
4 compliance obligations, 2 practical guides · 2 journeys · 2 statutory instruments
Penalty landscape
1 of 4 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 3 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Any Person 3
Plus 1 non-business duty on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Step-by-step journeys using this legislation
Walkthroughs that take you from a real business situation to compliance.
Healthcare compliance quick check
- 1 step
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Mentioned in related content
2 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Any Person also bound by 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 169 duties
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995 1995 144 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 101 duties
- Road Traffic Act 1988 1988 95 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 95 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Part I — The National Health Service
Browse 44 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Repeal of law about fund-holding practices.
Primary Care Trusts.
Primary Care Trusts: finance.
Expenditure of Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts.
Primary Care Trusts: provision of services etc.
Delegation of Health Authority functions relating to pilot schemes and section 28C arrangements.
Primary Care Trusts: trust-funds and trustees.
Payments relating to past performance.
Indemnity cover for Part II services.
Remuneration for Part II services.
Local representative committees.
Directions.
Establishment orders.
Exercise of powers.
Public dividend capital.
Existing NHS trusts: conversion of initial loan.
Borrowing.
Duty of quality.
The Commission for Health Improvement.
Functions of the Commission.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Arrangements with Ministers.
Obtaining information etc.
Restrictions on disclosure of information.
Abolition of Clinical Standards Advisory Group.
Co-operation between NHS bodies.
Co-operation between NHS bodies and local authorities.
Plans for improving health etc.
Payments by NHS bodies to local authorities.
Payments by local authorities to NHS bodies.
Arrangements between NHS bodies and local authorities.
Joint consultative committees.
Powers relating to voluntary schemes.
Power to control prices.
Statutory schemes.
Statutory schemes: supplementary.
Enforcement.
Controls: supplementary.
Evasion of charges etc.
Disqualification etc. of Part II practitioners.
High security psychiatric services.
Provision of information by Registrar General.
Health Service Commissioners.
Power to rectify transitional provisions etc.
Part II — The National Health Service: Scotland
Duty of quality.
- Maintain and improve the quality of health care services Any Person
Expenditure of Health Boards and other bodies.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Secretary of State must fund Health Boards and determine drug costs Crown / Minister / Government department
Disqualification etc. of Part II practitioners.
- Prevent fraud and efficiency failures in NHS services Any Person
Browse 12 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Repeal of law about fund-holding practices.
Establishment orders.
Directions as to delegation of functions.
Constitution of NHS trust boards.
Duties of NHS trusts.
Transfer of staff among health service bodies.
Public dividend capital.
Existing NHS trusts: conversion of initial loan.
Borrowing.
Indemnity cover for Part II services.
Remuneration for Part II services.
Recovery of charges and payments.
Part III — Miscellaneous and Supplementary
Browse 11 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Regulation of health professions and social care workers etc.
Standard of proof in fitness to practise proceedings
English and Scottish border provisions.
Regulations and orders.
Supplementary and consequential provision etc.
Interpretation.
Amendments and repeals.
Devolution.
Commencement.
Extent.
Short title.
Schedules
Regulation of health care and associated professions
Unlimited fine- Breach of professional or social care regulatory orders Any Person
Browse 77 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Primary Care Trusts
Repeals
After Schedule 5 to the 1977 Act (Health Authorities and...
Status
The Commission is not to be regarded as the servant...
(1) The Secretary of State may make payments out of...
(1) The Commission must keep accounts in such form as...
(1) As soon as possible after the end of each...
The application of the seal of the Commission must be...
A document purporting to be duly executed under the seal...
In Schedule 1 to the Public Records Act 1958 (definition...
In the Schedule to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings)...
In the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967, in Schedule 2 (departments...
In the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, in Part...
In the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975, the same...
(1) Subject to any directions given by the Secretary of...
It is the duty of the Commission to carry out...
The Commission is to consist of— (a) a chairman appointed...
The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision as...
(1) The Secretary of State may direct a Special Health...
(1) The Commission may pay to its chairman, and to...
(1) There is to be a chief executive of the...
(1) The Commission may arrange for the discharge of any...
(1) The Commission may arrange for such persons as it...
Section 31 arrangements: transfer of staff
Schedule 2A para.1
Schedule 2A para.2
Schedule 2A para.3
Schedule 2A para.4
Schedule 2A para.5
An Order may make provision, in relation to any profession,...
In this Schedule— “ dental practitioner ” means a person...
(1) The powers conferred by section 60 may be exercised...
(1) The powers conferred by section 60 extend to the...
An Order may make provision, in relation to any social...
The provision that may be made by virtue of paragraph...
An Order may abolish a regulatory body if (and only...
(1) The power to make an Order may be exercised...
The power may be exercised so as to make provision...
The power may be exercised so as to make provision...
The power may be exercised so as to—
The power may not be exercised so as to create...
(1) An Order may not abolish— (a) the regulatory body...
(1) Where an enactment provides, in relation to any profession,...
(1) If it is proposed to lay a draft of...
Amendments of enactments
In section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health...
(1) Section 98 (accounts and audit) is amended as follows....
The 1978 Act is amended as follows.
In section 9 (local consultative committees)— (a) in subsection (5),...
In section 10(4) (Common Services Agency)— (a) after “Health Boards”...
In section 12A(5) (NHS trusts)— (a) in paragraph (a), for...
In section 17A (NHS contracts)— (a) in subsection (2)—
In section 17E (personal medical and dental services: regulations), subsection...
Section 32 (regulations as to sections 29 to 31) is...
In section 32A (applications for interim suspension)—
In section 32B (continuation of suspension pending appeal)—
After section 35 there is inserted— Interpretation of Part II....
In section 85A (financial duties of certain bodies)—
In section 85B(2) (bodies in respect of which schemes for...
In section 86 (accounts of Health Boards and the Agency),...
Section 87D (indicative amounts for doctors’ practices) is omitted.
In section 102 (state hospitals), for paragraph (b) of subsection...
In section 105(7) (orders, regulations and directions), for “incidental or...
In section 108(1) (interpretation)— (a) in the appropriate place there...
In Schedule 7A (NHS trusts)— (a) for any reference to...
(1) Schedule 7B (financial provisions relating to NHS trusts) is...
In Schedule 8 (the Tribunal), in paragraph 8—
The Mental Health Act 1983 is amended as follows.
In section 122(1) (provision of pocket money for in-patients in...
In section 134 (correspondence of patients)— (a) in subsection (1)(b),...
(1) Section 145 (interpretation) is amended as follows.
The Health Service Joint Consultative Committees (Access to Information) Act...
Section 18 (indicative amounts for doctors’ practices) is omitted.
(1) The Health Service Commissioners Act 1993 is amended as...
In section 5 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 (general...
The repeal of section 97(2) of the 1977 Act has...
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- Glossary of terms - Care Quality Commission (opens in a new tab) from CQC Detailed Guidance
- Regulation 18: Notification of other incidents - Care Quality Commission (opens in a new tab) from CQC Detailed Guidance
- What is a location? - Care Quality Commission (opens in a new tab) from CQC Detailed Guidance
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
GOC
PrimaryGeneral Optical Council
Statutory regulator for optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians, and optical businesses in the UK. Registers individuals and businesses, sets standards, and investigates …
General Pharmaceutical Council
Statutory regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy premises in Great Britain. Sets standards for pharmacy education, ethics, and practice. Inspects registered …
Health and Care Professions Council
Statutory regulator for 15 health and care professions including physiotherapists, paramedics, occupational therapists, radiographers, dietitians, biomedical scientists, and others. Maintains registers and …
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Statutory regulator for nurses, midwives, and nursing associates in the UK. Maintains the professional register, sets education standards, and investigates fitness to …
UK Government (Cross-Departmental)
Generic publisher code for cross-departmental government publications that don't map to a specific regulator or department. Used for guidance that spans multiple …
Connected legislation
2 statutory instruments
These instruments amend, apply, or refer to this Act. They may not all create direct business obligations.
Secondary legislation (2)
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Browse legislation
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Regulators
Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.