The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 (“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 the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 2 amends the definition of “NHS sight test fee”. This fee is set at two levels depending on whether or not the sight test was carried out at the patient’s home and the appropriate figure is used to calculate the value of assistance towards the cost of a private sight test.

The two levels of NHS sight test fee are raised by regulation 2 as follows–

(a) the figure used when the sight test was carried out at the patient’s home is raised from £40.33 to £41.54, which represents an increase of 3%; and

(b) the figure used in all other cases is increased from £14.57 to £15.01, which represents an increase of 3%.

Regulation 3 amends regulation 15 of the principal Regulations (eligibility – replacement or repair) to correct an earlier error so as to include persons under the age of 19 years, who are receiving full time education, in the categories of patient who may be eligible for payments for the repair or replacement of optical appliances. Regulation 3 also extends eligibility for a replacement or repair voucher to cases where the loss or damage occurred because of a person’s disability.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 19 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair) to increase the value of an optical voucher issued towards the cost of replacing a single contact lens, and to increase the maximum contribution by way of voucher to the cost of repairing a frame.

Regulation 5(1) amends Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses.

Regulation 5(2) and the Schedule substitute a new Schedule 2 in the principal Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances.

Regulation 5(3) increases the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints or photochromic lenses, and special categories of appliances.

The increase in voucher values is, on average, 2 per cent.