The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1991

• Citation: S.I. 1991/583
• Sections: 11

Section 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1991 and shall come into force on 1st April 1991.

(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations ” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1989 .

Section 2 Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations

In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (Interpretation)—

(a) in the definition of “complex appliance”—

(i) in sub-paragraph (b) for “lens;” there is substituted “lens, or”; and

(ii) after sub-paragraph (b) there is added the following sub-paragraph:—

(c) is a prism-controlled bifocal lens;

(b) in the definition of “responsible authority”—

(i) in sub-paragraph (b) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust” ; and

(ii) after sub-paragraph (c) there is inserted the following sub-paragraph:—

(d) in relation to a voucher issued pursuant to regulation 11 or completed pursuant to regulation 17 by an NHS trust, the District Health Authority in whose district the patient resides;

(c) in the definition of “voucher” in sub-paragraph (b) after the words “health authority” in each place where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

Section 3 Amendment of regulation 2 of the principal Regulations

In regulation 2(2) of the principal Regulations (charges for glasses and contact lenses) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

Section 4 Amendment of regulation 8 of the principal Regulations

In regulation 8(5) of the principal Regulations (eligibility-supply of optical appliances) after the words “health authority” in both places where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

Section 5 Amendment of regulation 11 of the principal Regulations

In regulation 11 of the principal Regulations (issue of vouchers by health authorities) after the words “health authority” in each place where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

Section 6 Amendment of regulation 14 of the principal Regulations

In regulation 14(1) of the principal Regulations (payments to patients in health authority cases) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

Section 7 Amendment of regulation 20 of the principal Regulations

In regulation 20 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(b) for “£28.85” there is substituted “£32.15”; and

(b) in paragraph (3) for “£7.70” there is substituted “£8.20”.

Section 8 Amendment of Schedules to the principal Regulations

(1) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values-supply and replacement) in column 1 (type of optical applicance)—

(a) in paragraph 3—

(i) in sub-paragraph (b) for the words “exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of 10 or more dioptres”; and

(ii) in sub-paragraph (c) for the words “not exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of less than 10 dioptres”; and

(b) in paragraph 6—

(i) for the words “prism segment bifocal lenses” there are substituted the words “prism-controlled bifocal lenses”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b) for the words “exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of 10 or more dioptres”; and

(iii) in sub-paragraph (c) for the words “not exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of less than 10 dioptres”; and

(c) in paragraphs 7 and 8 after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

(2) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations, in column 3 (face value of voucher) for each amount specified in column 1 of the Table below (old amount) there is substituted the amount specified in relation to it in column 2 of that Table (new amount).

Table

(3) In Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

(a) in paragraph 1(1)(a) (prism-single vision lens) for “£4.00” there is substituted “£4.10”;

(b) in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism-other lens) for “£5.00” there is substituted “£5.10”;

(c) in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for “£2.00” there is substituted “£2.05”;

(d) in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for “£2.50” there is substituted “£2.55”;

(e) in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses)—

(i) in sub-head (i) for “£34.50” there is substituted “£35.20”,

(ii) in sub-head (ii) for “£30.70” there is substituted “£31.30”, and

(iii) in sub-bead (iii) for “£16.60” there is substituted “£16.90”;

(f) in paragraph 1(1)(f) (photochromic lenses)—

(i) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”, and

(ii) for “£2.00” there is substituted “£2.05” and for “£2.50” there is substituted “£2.55”;

(g) in paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames)—

(i) after the words “health authority” in each place where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”, and

(ii) for “£34.50” there is substituted “£35.20”;

(h) in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment-single vision lens) for “£3.50” there is substituted “£3.60”; and

(i) in paragraph 2(b) (minimum conmplex appliance payment-other lenses) for “£18.75” there is substituted “£19.25”.

(4) For Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (voucher values-repair) there is substituted the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Section 9 Amendment of the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986

In regulation 2(1) of the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 in the definition of “complex appliance”—

(a) in sub-paragraph (ii) for “lens;” there is substituted “lens, or”; and

(b) after sub-paragraph (ii) there is added the following sub-paragraph:—

(iii) is a prism-controlled bifocal lens;

Section 10 Amendment of the National Health Service (Charges for Appliances) Regulations 1974

(1) The National Health Service (Charges for Appliances) Regulations 1974 shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs of this regulation.

(2) In regulation 5 (optical appliances) after the word “Authority” in each place where it occurs there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

(3) In regulation 6 (investigations)—

(a) in paragraph (1) after the word “Authority” in each place where it occurs there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”;

(b) in paragraph (3) for the words “, it shall” there are substituted the words “or an NHS trust refers a matter for investigation under paragraph (1), the Authority or NHS trust shall”; and

(c) in paragraph (4) after the word “Authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.

Section 11 Application of these Regulations

The amendments made by regulations 7 and 8(2), (3) and (4) of and the Schedule to, these Regulations apply only in relation to a voucher—

(a) accepted or used on or after 1st April 1991 pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 18 of the principal Regulations; or

(b) sent to a health authority pursuant to regulation 14(2)(c) of the principal Regulations in respect of cost incurred on or after that date.