The National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1986 (S.I.1986/965) (“the principal Regulations”), which provide for arrangements under which ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians provide general ophthalmic services under the National Health Service.

These Regulations amend the principal Regulations to include reference, where appropriate, to primary care NHS trusts to which responsibility for certain functions relating to the provision of services mentioned in Part II of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (c. 29) are delegated by the Health Boards (regulations 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8(2)). They insert a new definition of “primary care NHS trust” (regulation 3(e)).

Regulation 8(3)(a) amends Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (terms of service) so that the excessive testing of sight and the excessive issuing of optical vouchers by opticians may be investigated as a breach of the contractors' terms of service. Regulation 8(3)(b) also amends Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations to correct a previous drafting error.

The Regulations amend the categories of eligibility for free sight tests to include people in receipt of disabled person’s tax credit and working families' tax credit, which replace disability working allowance and family credit respectively (regulations 3(a) to (d) and 7). Regulation 9 makes provision in connection with people in receipt of disability working allowance and family credit during the transitional period.