uksi/2026/536 — The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

2026 No. 536 NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, ENGLAND The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 Made at 1.02 p.m. on 18th May 2026 Laid before Parliament at 4.16 p.m. on 18th May 2026 Coming into force at 6.00 p.m. on 18th May 2026 The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 175 and 272(7) and (8) of the National Health Service Act 2006 . Citation, commencement, extent and application 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 and come into force at 6.00 p.m. on 18th May 2026. 2 These Regulations extend to England and Wales and apply to England only. Amendment of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 2 1 The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 are amended as follows. 2 In regulation 9— a in paragraph (1)(d) after “Schedule 1”, insert “, provided that the overseas visitor has not travelled to the United Kingdom for the purpose of seeking that diagnosis or treatment, unless it is by means of a form of transport which has been agreed with or funded by the Secretary of State” . b after paragraph (3), insert— 4 Paragraph (2) also applies in the case of an overseas visitor who, on or after 1st May 2026 but before this paragraph came into force, was provided with services for the diagnosis or treatment of hantavirus disease, including hantavirus pulmonary or cardiopulmonary syndrome and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. . 3 In Schedule 1 at the appropriate place, insert “Hantavirus disease, including hantavirus pulmonary or cardiopulmonary syndrome and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome” . Signed by the authority of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sharon Hodgson Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Department of Health and Social Care at 1.02 p.m. on 18th May 2026 Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 ( S.I. 2015/238 ) (“ the 2015 Regulations ”) which provide for the making and recovery of charges for relevant services provided under the National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41) to overseas visitors, i.e. persons not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. Regulation 2 amends regulation 9 of the 2015 Regulations to provide that the exemption from charges for diagnosis or treatment of conditions listed in Schedule 1 does not apply to overseas visitors who have travelled to the United Kingdom for the purpose of seeking that diagnosis or treatment, unless it is by means of a form of transport which has been agreed with or funded by the Secretary of State. Amendments are also made to ensure that charges are not made or recovered for the diagnosis or treatment of hantavirus disease, including hantavirus pulmonary or cardiopulmonary syndrome and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome on or after 1st May 2026 and before 6.00 p.m. on 18th May 2026, and that any sums paid are re-paid. Regulation 3 amends Schedule 1 of the 2015 Regulations to add hantavirus disease, including hantavirus pulmonary or cardiopulmonary syndrome and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument because no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.