Optical Charges and Payments (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2002 No. 5

HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES

Optical Charges and Payments (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Made

10th January 2002

Coming into operation

1st February 2002

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety(1), in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 62, 98, 106, and 107(6) of, and paragraph 2A of Schedule 15 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(2) and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, and after consultation with such organisations as appeared to the Department to be representative of medical practitioners practising as ophthalmic medical practitioners, and ophthalmic opticians, as required by Article 62(3) of the said Order, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and shall come into operation on 1st February 2002.

(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(3).

Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (interpretation) in the definition of “health service sight test fee”—

(a) in sub-paragraph (a) for “£42·85” there shall be substituted “£44·39”; and

(b) in sub-paragraph (b) for “£15·52” there shall be substituted “£16·08”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 10th January 2002.

L.S.

D. J. Thompson

Senior Officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby approves the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 10th January 2002.

L.S.

Rodney Scott

Senior Officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for payments to be made, by means of a voucher system, in respect of costs incurred by certain categories of persons in connection with eye sight tests and the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 2 amends the definition of “health service sight test fee” in regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations to reflect the values of the two levels of fees for Health Service sight tests payable to ophthalmic medical practitioners and opticians (as determined under regulation 12 of the General Ophthalmic Services Regulation (Northern Ireland) 1986 – S.R. 1986 No. 163). These amounts are relevant to the determination of eligibility for, and the redemption value of, a voucher towards the cost of a sight test.

(1)

S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) — See Article 3(6)

(2)

S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14); Article 62(1) was amended by Article 3(1)(a) of, the Health and Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 (S.I. 1984/1158 (N.I. 8)) and Article 8(1) of the Health and Medicines (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/2249 (N.I. 24)); Article 62(2) was amended by Article 3(1)(b) of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 and Schedule 6 to, S.I. 1984/1158 (N.I. 8) and Part I of Schedule 5 to the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1)); Article 98 was amended by Part II of Schedule 5 to S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1); Schedule 15 was amended by Article 3(2) of, and paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to, and Article 17 of, and Schedule 6 to, S.I. 1984/1158 (N.I. 8); Article 8(4) and (5) of S.I. 1988/2249 (N.I. 24); Article 14(2) of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/594) (N.I. 2)) and Article 34 of, and Part II of Schedule 5 to, S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1)

(3)

S.R. 1997 No. 191; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 2001 No. 370