The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2015

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 1998 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. These Regulations also amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (“the 2006 Regulations”) which provide for arrangements in relation to general ophthalmic services under the National Health Service in Scotland, and for the preparation and maintenance by each Health Board of an Ophthalmic List.

The 1998 Regulations are amended to allow suppliers to make claims for payment electronically. Therefore amendments are made to regulation 13 of the 1998 Regulations in relation to claims for supply of appliances and regulation 18 of the 1998 Regulations in relation to claims for replacement or repair of appliances. A definition of “electronic communication” is inserted into regulation 1 of the 1998 Regulations (regulation 2).

The 2006 Regulations are amended to allow claims in relation to services provided in connection with eye examinations to be made electronically. In such cases there are requirements in relation to completion of patient practice record forms and the use of a personal identification number when making a claim and regulations 22 and 23 and paragraph 13 of Schedule 1 to the 2006 Regulations are amended accordingly (regulation 2). Amendments are also made to regulation 2 on interpretation as a consequence.