The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 2022

Made: 3rd March 2022

Laid before Parliament: 4th March 2022

Coming into force: 1st April 2022

The Secretary of State makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 179(1), 180 and 272(7) and (8) of the National Health Service Act 2006[^f00001].

Citation, commencement, extent and application

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• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 1st April 2022.

• (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

Amendment of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 2013

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• (1) The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 2013[^f00002] are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 20 (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—

• (a) in paragraph (1)(b), for “£57.00” substitute “£58.15”;

• (b) in paragraph (3), for “£14.80” substitute “£15.10”.

• (3) In Schedule 1 (voucher letter codes and face values - supply and replacement), in column (3) of the table (face value of voucher)—

• (a) for “£39.10” substitute “£39.90”;

• (b) for “£59.30” substitute “£60.50”;

• (c) for “£86.90” substitute “£88.60”;

• (d) for “£196.00” substitute “£199.90”;

• (e) for “£67.50” substitute “£68.80”;

• (f) for “£85.60” substitute “£87.30”;

• (g) for “£111.20” substitute “£113.40”;

• (h) for “£215.50” substitute “£219.80”;

• (i) for “£200.80” substitute “£204.80”;

• (j) for “£57.00” substitute “£58.15”.

• (4) In Schedule 2 (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

• (a) in paragraph 1(1)—

• (i) in paragraph (a), for “£12.60” substitute “£12.85”;

• (ii) in paragraph (b), for “£15.40” substitute “£15.70”;

• (iii) in paragraph (c), for “£4.40” substitute “£4.50”;

• (iv) in paragraph (d), for “£4.90” substitute “£5.00”;

• (v) in paragraph (e)—

• (aa) for “£64.20” substitute “£65.50”;

• (bb) for “£57.00” substitute “£58.15”;

• (cc) for “£30.80” substitute “£31.40”;

• (vi) in paragraph (f)—

• (aa) in sub-paragraph (i), for “£64.20” substitute “£65.50”;

• (bb) in sub-paragraph (ii), for “£57.00” substitute “£58.15”;

• (cc) in sub-paragraph (iii), for “£30.80” substitute “£31.40”;

• (b) in paragraph 2—

• (i) in sub-paragraph (a), for “£14.60” substitute “£14.90”;

• (ii) in sub-paragraph (b), for “£37.40” substitute “£38.15”.

• (5) In Schedule 3 (voucher values – repair), for the table substitute—

Transitional provision

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Where, before 1st April 2022, a voucher is accepted, presented or used by virtue of regulation 12 (use of vouchers for supply of optical appliances) or regulation 18 (use of vouchers for replacement or repair) of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 2013, Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of those Regulations have effect in relation to that acceptance, presentation or use as if these Regulations had not come into force.

Signed

Maria Caulfield — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, — Department of Health and Social Care — 3rd March 2022

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/461) (“the 2013 Regulations”) which make provision for payments to be made by means of vouchers to eligible persons, in respect of costs incurred in connection with sight tests and the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances pursuant to Part 6 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (c. 41). They apply to England only.

The 2013 Regulations are amended to uprate voucher values. Regulation 2(2) amends regulation 20 of the 2013 Regulations to increase the redemption value of a voucher issued for replacement of a single contact lens or repair of a frame by an overall increase of approximately 2%.

Regulation 2(3) to (5) amends Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the 2013 Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses, increases the additional values of vouchers for prisms, tints, photochromic lenses and special categories of appliances and to increase the value of vouchers for the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances. The rate of increase is approximately 2%.

Regulation 3 makes transitional provision. In relation to vouchers accepted, presented or used before 1st April 2022, the old voucher values will apply.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2006 c. 41. Section 180 was amended by section 205 of, and paragraph 96 of Schedule 4 to, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7) and section 34 of the Health Act 2009 (c. 21). “Prescribed” and “regulations” are defined in section 275 of the National Health Service Act 2006. By virtue of section 271(1) of the National Health Service Act 2006, the powers conferred by these sections are exercisable by the Secretary of State only in relation to England.

[^f00002]: S.I. 2013/461 as amended by S.I. 2014/418, 2015/417 and 2016/325. There are other amending instruments but none are relevant.