http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2003/424Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003CareState pensionsPublic order, justice and rightsHealth care services and specialismsHEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICESStatute Law Database2024-10-28Expert Participation2007-11-09 These Regulations make amendments to the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and the Health and Personal Social Services (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 consequent on the introduction of pension credit guarantee credit in the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002. The purpose of the amendments is to ensure that those in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit and members of their families will be entitled to Health Service vouchers to put towards the cost of spectacles and contact lenses and to General Ophthalmic Services free of charge. 2003 No. 424 HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment <Abbreviation Expansion="Number">No.</Abbreviation> 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 Made 26th September 2003 Coming into operation 6th October 2003 The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 62, 98, 106 and 107(6) of, and Schedule 15 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, and after consultation with such organisations as appeared to the Department to be representative of medical practitioners practising as ophthalmic medical practitioners, and ophthalmic opticians, as required by Article 62(3) of the said Order, hereby makes the following Regulations: Citation, commencement and interpretation 1 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and shall come into operation on 6th October 2003. 2 In these regulations – “the Optical Regulations” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997; and “the Ophthalmic Regulations” means the Health and Personal Social Services (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986. Amendment of the Optical Regulations 2 1 The Optical Regulations are amended as follows. 2 In regulation 1 (citation, commencement and interpretation), in paragraph (2), after the definition of “patients resources” there is inserted – “pension credit guarantee credit” shall be construed in accordance with sections 1 and 2 of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002; 3 In regulation 8 (eligibility – supply of optical appliances) – a in paragraph (3), after sub-paragraph (l), there is inserted – m he is receiving pension credit guarantee credit or is a member of the same family as a person who is receiving pension credit guarantee credit. ; and b in paragraph (4), in sub-paragraph (a) (definition of family), for “sub-paragraphs (b) and (f)”, there is substituted “sub-paragraphs (b), (f) and (m)”. Amendment of the Ophthalmic Regulations3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 26th September 2003. Dr. J. F. Livingstone Senior Officer of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 26th September 2003. Jack Layberry Senior Officer of the Department of Finance and Personnel (This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations make amendments to the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and the Health and Personal Social Services (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 consequent on the introduction of pension credit guarantee credit in the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002. The purpose of the amendments is to ensure that those in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit and members of their families will be entitled to Health Service vouchers to put towards the cost of spectacles and contact lenses and to General Ophthalmic Services free of charge.

See S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(6) S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14); relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1984/1158 (N.I. 8) – Article 3 and Schedules 1 and 6; S.I. 1988/2249 (N.I. 24) – Article 8; S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1) – Article 34 and Schedule 5 S.R. 1997 No. 191; relevant amending instrument is S.R. 2003 No. 176 S.R. 1986 No. 163; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1989 No. 113, S.R. 1995 No. 115, S.R. 1996 No. 416, S.R. 1999 Nos. 112 and 394, S.R. 2001 No. 339, S.R. 2002 No. 85 and S.R. 2003 No. 176 2002 c. 14 (N.I.) Reg. 1 in operation at 6.10.2003, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 2 in operation at 6.10.2003, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 3 revoked (9.11.2007) by General Ophthalmic Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (S.R. 2007/436), regs. 1, 23(1), Sch. 3 (with reg. 23(2))