The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998

Issue of vouchers by ophthalmic medical practitioners and opticians

9.—(1) An ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician who, following a testing of sight under the Ophthalmic Services Regulations, issues a prescription for an optical appliance to a patient–

(a) who has indicated that he is an eligible person; or

(b) who (whether or not he has so indicated) is issued with a prescription for a complex appliance,

shall, in the circumstances described in paragraph (3) but subject to paragraph (4), issue to the patient a voucher relating to the optical appliance prescribed on the same occasion as he issues the prescription in accordance with paragraph 10(3) of Schedule 1 to the Ophthalmic Services Regulations.

(2) The ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician issuing the voucher shall sign it and shall–

(a) mark on it the letter code specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 which relates to the type of optical appliance prescribed as set out in column 1 of that Schedule; and

(b) duly complete the relevant parts of the voucher with the name and address of the patient, the patient’s date of birth, particulars of the prescription issued to the patient, the date on which the patient’s sight was tested and the date of issue of the voucher.

(3) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are where the ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician, having consulted any records which he has relating to the patient and made such enquiry of the patient as he considers relevant, is satisfied that–

(a) the patient requires an optical appliance for the first time or an optical appliance pursuant to a prescription the particulars of which differ from those relating to his existing appliance; or

(b) the patient requires an optical appliance because his existing optical appliance has been rendered unserviceable by fair wear and tear.

(4) Where a patient requires an optical appliance pursuant to a prescription the particulars of which differ from those relating to his existing appliance only because the patient is non-tolerant of that appliance, and has been so since it was supplied to him, no voucher shall be issued unless the Health Board responsible for the arrangements for the sight test, being satisfied that the prescription for that existing appliance was clinically correct, has authorised the issue of a voucher.

(5) Unless regulation 11 applies, not more than one voucher shall be issued to a patient in respect of any one optical appliance prescribed.