The National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1988

Made: 8th March 1988

Laid before Parliament: 11th March 1988

Coming into force: 1st April 1988

The Secretary of State for Social Services, in exercise of powers conferred on him by section 39 of, and paragraph 2A of Schedule 12 to, the National Health Service Act 1977[^f00001] and of all other powers so enabling him, hereby makes the following regulations:—

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Amendment Regulations 1988 and shall come into force on 1st April 1988.

• (2) In these regulations, “the principal regulations” means the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Regulations 1986[^f00002].

Amendment of the principal regulations

2

• (1) In regulation 1 of the principal regulations —

• (a) in paragraph (2) (interpretation) in the definition of “face value” the words “for a prism or a tint” are omitted;

• (b) in paragraph (3) (interpretation of Part I of Schedule 1) after sub-paragraph (a) there is inserted the following sub-paragraph:—

(aa) where an optical appliance has a bifocal lens, the power of the lens shall be determined according to the power of that segment of the lens designed to correct a defect in distant sight; and

• (2) In regulation 4 of the principal regulations (issue of vouchers in connection with general ophthalmic services), in paragraph (2), there is added at the end “on the same occasion as he issues the prescription in accordance with paragraph 10(3) of Schedule 1 to the Ophthalmic Services Regulations”.

• (3) In regulation 6 of the principal regulations (use of vouchers), after paragraph (2) there is inserted the following paragraph:—

(2A) A voucher relating to glasses may be accepted in connection with the supply of contact lenses.

• (4) For each amount specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 to these regulations, where it appears in column 3 in Part I of Schedule 1 to the principal regulations in relation to the letter code specified in column 1 of Schedule 1 to these regulations, there is substituted the amount specified in column 3 of the Schedule to these regulations.

• (5) For Part II of Schedule 1 to the principal regulations there is substituted the Part II set out in Schedule 2 to these regulations.

Application of regulations

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• (1) Any change in the value of a voucher effected by —

• (a) regulation 2(4) of, and Schedule 1 to, these regulations;

• (b) regulation 2(5) of, and Schedule 2 to, these regulations, in so far as they relate to paragraph 1(1)(a) to (d) and paragraph 2 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the principal regulations,

applies only in relation to a voucher accepted on or after 1st April 1988 pursuant to regulation 6 of the principal regulations or sent to a health authority on or after that date pursuant to regulation 8(2)(c) of the principal regulations.

• (2) Any such changes effected by regulation 2(5) of, and Schedule 2 to, these regulations, in so far as they relate to paragraph 1(1)(e) to (g) of Part II of Schedule 1 to the principal regulations, applies in relation to a voucher issued on or after 1st April 1988 pursuant to regulation 4 or regulation 5 of the principal regulations.

SCHEDULE 1 — AMOUNTS SUBSTITUTED IN PART I OF SCHEDULE 1 TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS

SCHEDULE 2 — PART II OF SCHEDULE 1 TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS

PART II — PRISMS, TINTS, PHOTOCHROMIC LENSES, SPECIAL GLASSES AND COMPLEX APPLIANCES

1

• (1) The amounts in column 3 in Part I of, and in paragraph 2(a) and (b) of this Part of, this Schedule shall be increased as follows:—

• (a) by £3.50 in respect of each single vision lens containing a necessary prism;

• (b) by £4.50 in respect of each other lens containing a necessary prism;

• (c) by £1.75 in respect of each necessary single vision tinted lens;

• (d) by £2.25 in respect of each necessary other tinted lens;

• (e) by £30.00 in respect of glasses for a person the distance between the centres of whose pupils is 60 millimetres or less;

• (f) where the voucher is issued by a health authority, by £1.75 in respect of each necessary single vision photochromic lens and by £2.25 in respect of each necessary other photochromic lens;

• (g) where the voucher is issued by a health authority, by £30 in respect of glasses the frame of which is certified by the health authority as being required to be specially manufactured on account of the patient’s facial characteristics.

• (2) The increases provided for by sub-paragraph (1)(e), (f) and (g) of this paragraph do not apply in the case of a voucher relating to glasses if it is accepted in connection with the supply of contact lenses.

• (3) In sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph “necessary” in relation to a prism or a tinted or photochromic lens means that the prism, tint or photochromic quality has been prescribed on the basis of clinical need.

2

The minimum complex appliance payment is —

• (a) for a complex appliance with single vision lenses only, £3;

• (b) for any other complex appliance, £17;

plus, in each case, the amount of any increase provided for by paragraph 1 of this Part of this Schedule.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Social Services

Tony Newton — Minister of State, — Department of Health and Social Security — 8th March 1988

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These regulations amend the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Regulations 1986, which provide for payments to be made, by means of a voucher system, in respect of the cost incurred by certain categories of persons for the supply of optical appliances prescribed following a sight test under the national health service in England and Wales.

The values of the vouchers for glasses (which bear a letter code varying according to the type of lenses prescribed) are increased (regulation 2(4) and Schedule 1) as are additions to the values for prisms (by 50 pence) and tints (by 50 pence per pair) and the special minimum payment for a complex optical appliance (from £2 to £3 where it has single vision lenses only and from £14 to £17 where it has any other lenses). There is also new provision for additions of £30 for glasses with small frames and of £1.75 or £2.25 for a photochromic lens and of £30 for glasses with specially manufactured frames. These last two additions apply only where a health authority issues the voucher.

Other amendments provide for voucher values of glasses with bifocal lenses to be determined according to the distance segment (regulation 2(1)(b)), for vouchers issued following a sight test under general ophthalmic services to be issued with the prescription (regulation 2(2)) and for vouchers to be used for contact lenses (regulation 2(3)).

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1977 c. 49; for the definitions of “prescribed” and “regulations” see section 128(1); paragraph 2A of Schedule 12 was inserted by the Health and Social Security Act 1984 (c. 48), Schedule 1, paragraph 3.

[^f00002]: S.I. 1986/976, amended by S.I. 1986/1136.