Welsh Statutory Instruments
2013 No. 543 (W.56)
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, WALES
The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2013
Made
7 March 2013
Laid before the National Assembly for Wales
11 March 2013
Coming into force
1 April 2013
The Welsh Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 71, 128, 129, 130, and 203(9) and (10) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006(1).
Title, commencement, interpretation and application
1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2013 which come into force on 1 April 2013.
(2) These Regulations apply in relation to Wales.
(3) In these Regulations—
“the Optical Regulations” (“y Rheoliadau Optegol”) means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997(2).
Amendment of regulation 1 of the Optical Regulations
2. In regulation 1(2) of the Optical Regulations (citation, commencement and interpretation), in the definition of “NHS sight test fee”—
(a)for “57.16” substitute “£57.72”; and
(b)for “£20.70” substitute “£20.90”.
Amendment of regulation 19 of the Optical Regulations
3. Regulation 19 of the Optical Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair) is amended as follows—
(a)in paragraph (1)(b), for “£54.20” substitute “£54.70” ; and
(b)in paragraph (3), for “£14.00” substitute “£14.10”.
Amendments to the Schedules to the Optical Regulations
4.—(1) Schedules 1 to 3 to the Optical Regulations are amended in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation.
(2) In Schedule 1 (voucher letter codes and face values-supply and replacement) in column (3) of the table (face value of voucher), for each amount specified in column (1) of the table below substitute the amount specified in relation to it in column (2) of the table below:
| (1)Old amount | (2) New amount |
|---|---|
| £37.10 | £37.50 |
| £56.40 | £57.00 |
| £82.60 | £83.40 |
| £186.50 | £188.40 |
| £64.20 | £64.80 |
| £81.60 | £82.40 |
| £105.80 | £106.90 |
| £205.10 | £207.20 |
| £191.00 | £192.90 |
| £54.20 | £54.70 |
(3) In Schedule 2 (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—
(a)in paragraph 1(1)(a), for “£12.10” substitute “£12.20”;
(b)in paragraph 1(1)(b), for “£14.60” substitute “£14.70”;
(c)in paragraph 1(1)(e), for “£61.20”, “£54.20” and “£29.30” substitute “£61.80”, “£54.75” and “£29.60” respectively;
(d)in paragraph 1(1)(g), for “£61.20” substitute “£61.80”;
(e)in paragraph 2(a), for “£14.00” substitute “£14.10”; and
(f)in paragraph 2(b), for “£35.50” substitute “£35.90”.
(4) For Schedule 3 (voucher values repair), substitute the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.
Transitional Provision
5. The amounts substituted by regulations 3 and 4 apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 17 of the Optical Regulations on or after 1 April 2013.
Lesley Griffiths
Minister for Health and Social Services, one of the Welsh Ministers
7 March 2013
Regulation 4(4)
SCHEDULESCHEDULE 3 TO THE OPTICAL REGULATIONS AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS
Regulation 19(2) and (3)
“SCHEDULE 3VOUCHER VALUES REPAIR
| (1) | (2) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Repair | Letter of Codes — Values | ||||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Repair or replacement of one lens | 11.70 | 21.45 | 34.65 | 87.15 | 25.35 | 34.15 | 46.40 | 96.55 | 89.40 |
| Repair or replacement of two lenses | 23.40 | 42.90 | 69.30 | 174.30 | 50.70 | 68.30 | 92.80 | 193.10 | 178.80 |
| Repair or replacement of: | |||||||||
| the front of a frame | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 |
| a side of a frame | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 | 7.10 |
| the whole frame | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10 | 14.10” |
Explanatory Note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (“the Optical 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 sight tests and the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.
Regulation 2 amends regulation 1 of the Optical Regulations so as make reference to an increase in the NHS sight test fees of 1%.
Regulation 3 amends regulation 19 of the Optical Regulations to increase the redemption value of a voucher issued towards the cost of replacement of a single contact lens and to increase the maximum contribution by way of voucher to the cost of a repair of a frame.
Regulation 4 and the Schedule amend the Schedules to the Optical Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses, to increase the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints, photochromic lenses and special categories of appliances and to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances.
Regulation 5 makes transitional provision in relation to vouchers accepted or used on or before 31 March 2013.
The Welsh Ministers' Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.
S.I. 1997/818 as amended.