Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

Ophthalmic services

Ophthalmic services

8.—(1) Immediately before Article 62 of the Order of 1972 (arrangements for general ophthalmic services), insert the cross-heading—

“Ophthalmic services”.

(2) In paragraph (2) of that Article, sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) shall cease to have effect.

(3) After that Article, insert—

“Persons providing general ophthalmic

62A.— (1) Regulations may provide that a health care professional of a prescribed description may not provide any general ophthalmic services for which a Health and Social Services Board is responsible unless that professional is included in a list maintained under the regulations by a Health and Social Services Board.

(2) For the purposes of this Article—

(a) “health care professional” has the same meaning as in Article 15C;

(b) a Health and Social Services Board is responsible for general ophthalmic services if it secures provision of the services under or by virtue of Article 62.

(3) Paragraphs (3), (3A), (3B) and (4) of Article 57G shall apply for the purposes of regulations made under this Article in the same manner as those paragraphs apply for the purposes of regulations made under paragraph (1) of that Article.”.

Local optical committees

9.  In Article 55 of the Order of 1972 (recognition of local representative committees), in paragraph (3)(a) after the word “the” insert “ophthalmic medical practitioners and”.