2003 No. 837 (W.106)
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, WALES

The National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2003

Made
Coming into force
The National Assembly for Wales, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by sections 38, 39 and 126(4) of the National Health Service Act 19771 hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement, application and effect1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 1st April 2003.

(2)

These Regulations apply to Wales only.

(3)

The National Health Service (General Opthalmic Services) Regulations 19862 shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of these Regulations.

Amendment of paragraph 8A of Schedule 12.

Paragraph 8A of Schedule 1 (Complaints) shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs—

(a)

in paragraph (7)(b)(ii) for the word “three”, substitute the word “two”; and

(b)

in paragraph (7)(c) for the figure “10”, substitute the figure “20”.

Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 19983.
D. Elis-Thomas
The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales.
(This note is not part of the Order)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 (“the principal Regulations”) which regulate the terms on which general ophthalmic services are provided under the National Health Service Act 1977.

Regulation two contains provisions amending the length of time contractors, as defined in the principal Regulations, have to respond to complaints made by or on behalf of patients or former patients. The time permitted to contractors to formally acknowledge complaints is reduced from three to two days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays), whereas the time permitted to provide a complainant with a written summary of investigations and conclusions is increased from 10 to 20 days( excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays).