The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2001

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2001 and shall come into force on 1st April 2001.

(2) These Regulations come into force–

(a) on 1st April 2001 for all purposes except regulations 2 to 7,

(b) on 10th April 2001 for the purposes of regulation 4, and

(c) on 1st May 2001 for the purposes of regulations 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

(3) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998(1).

Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (interpretation)(2), in the definition of “NHS sight test fee”–

(a) in sub paragraph (a) for “£42.79” there is substituted “£42.85”; and

(b) in sub paragraph (b) for “£15.46” there is substituted “£15.52”.

Amendment of regulation 8 of the principal Regulations

3.  In regulation 8(3) of the principal Regulations (eligibility – supply of optical appliances)(3), in sub-paragraphs (c), (d) and (g) for “£70” there is substituted “£71”.

Amendment of regulation 12 of the principal Regulations

4.  In regulation 12 of the principal Regulations (use of vouchers for the supply of optical appliances)(4)–

(a) in paragraph (1) for “and (5)” there is substituted “, (5) and (6)”

(b) after paragraph (5) there is inserted–

“(6) When the patient presents the voucher–

(a) the supplier shall ask him to produce satisfactory evidence that he is an eligible person, unless the supplier, in cases other than where the patient is an eligible person by virtue of regulation 8(2)(c) or (d) already has satisfactory evidence of entitlement available to him;

(b) if the patient has been asked for but, not produced satisfactory evidence of entitlement, the supplier shall record the fact on the voucher.”.

Amendment of regulation 13 of the principal Regulations

5.  In regulation 13 of the principal Regulations (payment to suppliers)(5) after paragraph (2) there is inserted–

“(3) The responsible authority shall also make a payment, to be determined by the Scottish Ministers, to the supplier to meet or contribute to the cost incurred by the supplier in order to comply with regulation 12(6).”.

Amendment of regulation 16 of the principal Regulations

6.  In regulation 16 of the principal Regulations (completion of vouchers for replacement or repair) for paragraphs (2) and (3) substitute–

“(2) In the case of a replacement, the supplier shall–

(a) ask the patient to produce satisfactory evidence of entitlement, unless the supplier, in cases other than where the patient is an eligible person by virtue of regulation 8(2)(c) or (d), already has satisfactory evidence of entitlement available to him;

(b) mark on the voucher the letter code specified in column 2 of Schedule 1, which relates to the type of optical appliance to be replaced as set out in column 1 of that Schedule;

(c) duly complete the relevant part of the voucher with–

(i) the name and address of the patient,

(ii) the patient’s date of birth;

(d) if the patient has been asked for, but not produced, satisfactory evidence of entitlement, record the fact on the voucher.

(3) In the case of a repair, the supplier shall–

(a) ask the patient to produce satisfactory evidence of entitlement, unless the supplier, in cases other than where the patient is an eligible person by virtue of regulation 8(2)(c) or (d), already has satisfactory evidence of entitlement available to him;

(b) mark on the voucher the letter code specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 which relates to the type of optical appliance to be repaired as set out in column 1 of that Schedule;

(c) indicate on the voucher the nature of the repair of the appliance to be undertaken and, in particular, whether it comprises–

(i) the replacement or repair of one or more lens included in the appliance and, if so, how many,

(ii) the repair of a frame and, if so, whether it is the whole frame, the front of the frame or one or both sides of the frame;

(d) duly complete the relevant parts of the voucher with–

(i) the name and address of the patient,

(ii) the patient’s date of birth;

(e) if the patient has been asked for, but not produced, satisfactory evidence of entitlement, record the fact on the voucher.”.

Amendment of regulation 18 of the principal Regulations

7.  In regulation 18 of the principal Regulations (payment to suppliers for replacement or repair) after paragraph (2) there is inserted–

“(3) The responsible authority shall also make a payment, to be determined by the Scottish Ministers, to the supplier to meet or contribute to the cost incurred by the supplier in order to comply with regulation 16(2) or (3).”.

Amendment of regulation 19 of the principal Regulations

8.  In regulation 19 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)–

(a) in paragraph (1)(b) for “£42.80” there is substituted “£43.90”;

(b) in paragraph (3)(a) for “£11.00” there is substituted “£11.30”; and

(c) in paragraph (3)(b) for “£48.20” there is substituted “£49.40”.

Amendment of Schedules to the principal Regulations

9.—(1) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values – supply and replacement)(6) 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

Column 1	Column 2
Old amount	New amount
£29.30	£30.00
£44.50	£45.60
£60.60	£62.10
£136.90	£140.30
£50.50	£51.80
£64.30	£65.90
£77.30	£79.60
£150.50 (in both places where it appears)	£154.30
£42.80	£43.90

(2) For Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (voucher values – repair)(7) there is substituted the Schedule 2 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

(3) In Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small glasses and special frames and complex appliances)(8)–

(a) in paragraph 1(1)(a) (single vision lens with prism) for “£6.10” there is substituted “£6.30”;

(b) in paragraph 1(1)(b) (other lens with prism) for “£7.00” there is substituted “£7.20”;

(c) in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for “£3.10” there is substituted “£3.20”;

(d) in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for “£3.60” there is substituted “£3.70”;

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

(i) in sub head (i) for “£48.20” there is substituted “£49.40”;

(ii) in sub head (ii) for “£42.80” there is substituted “£43.90”; and

(iii) in sub head (iii) for “£23.20” there is substituted “£23.80”;

(f) in paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frame) for “£48.20” there is substituted “£49.40”; for “£42.80” there is substituted “£43.90”; and for “£23.20” there is substituted “£23.80”;

(g) in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment – single vision lenses) for “£10.20” there is substituted “£10.50”; and

(h) in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment – other lenses) for “£25.90” there is substituted “£26.50”.

Application of these regulations

10.  The amendments made by regulations 8 and 9, and the Schedule apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or 17 of the principal Regulations on or after 1st April 2001.

SUSAN C DEACON

A member of the Scottish Executive

St Andrew’s House,

Edinburgh

7th March 2001