http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2025/136/madeThe National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025enKing's Printer of Acts of Parliament2025-02-11NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, WALES These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/818) (“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. 2025 No. 136 (W. 29) National Health Service, Wales The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025 Made 7 February 2025 Laid before Senedd Cymru 11 February 2025 Coming into force 4 March 2025 The Welsh Ministers make these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 129 and 203(9) and (10) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006. Title, coming into force and interpretation 1 1 The title of these Regulations is the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025. 2 These Regulations come into force on 4 March 2025 but they shall have effect from 21 October 2024. 3 In these Regulations, “the Optical Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997. Amendments to the Optical Regulations 2 1 Schedules 1 to 3 to the Optical Regulations are amended as follows. 2 For Schedule 1 (voucher number codes and face values – supply and replacement) substitute the Schedule set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations. 3 In Schedule 2 (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)— a in paragraph 1(1)(a), for “£12.00” substitute “£12.20”; b in paragraph 1(1)(b), for “£14.00” substitute “£14.24”; c in paragraph 1(1)(c), for “£2.00” substitute “£2.03”; d in paragraph 1(1)(d), for “£2.50” substitute “£2.54”; e in paragraph 1(1)(e), for “£64.20” substitute “£65.29”; f in paragraph 1(1)(g)(i), for “£64.20” substitute “£65.29”; g in paragraph 1(1)(g)(ii), for “£57.00” substitute “£57.97”; h in paragraph 1(1)(g)(iii), for “£30.80” substitute “£31.32”; i in paragraph 1(1A), for “£15.00” substitute “£15.26”; j in paragraph 2(a), for “£14.60” substitute “£14.85”; k in paragraph 2(b), for “£37.40” substitute “£38.04”. 4 For Schedule 3 (voucher values – repair) substitute the Schedule set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations. Transitional and saving provisions 3 1 The amendments made by regulation 2 apply only in relation to a voucher issued pursuant to regulation 9, 10 or 11 or completed pursuant to regulation 16 of the Optical Regulations on or after 21 October 2024. 2 Where a voucher— a has been issued pursuant to regulation 9, 10 or 11 or completed pursuant to regulation 16 of the Optical Regulations on or after 20 October 2023, but b has not been used or accepted pursuant to regulation 12 or 17 of the Optical Regulations prior to 21 October 2024, that voucher has the face value provided for in the Optical Regulations as they existed immediately before 21 October 2024 and the voucher’s redemption value is to be calculated accordingly. Jeremy Miles Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, one of the Welsh Ministers 7 February 2025 SCHEDULE 1 Schedule 1 to the Optical Regulations as substituted by these Regulations Regulation 2(2) SCHEDULE 1 Voucher Number Codes and Face Values – Supply and Replacement Regulations 1(2), 9(2)(a),10(2)(a) and16(2)(b)and(3)(b)
(1) Type of optical appliance(2) Number code(3) Face value of voucher
1. Glasses with single vision lenses of a spherical power of not more than 6 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 2 dioptres.1£22.37
2. Glasses with single vision lenses- (a) of a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres; (b) of a spherical power of less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres. 2£42.71
3. Glasses with single vision lenses of a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but not more than 14 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres.3£157.64
4. Glasses with single vision lenses- (a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) of a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power. 4£280.69
5. Glasses with single vision lenses- (a) of a spherical power of more than 20 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) of a cylindrical power of more than 10 dioptres with any spherical power. 5£383.41
6. Glasses with multifocal lenses of a spherical power of not more than 6 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 2 dioptres.6£40.68
7. Glasses with multifocal lenses- (a) of a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres; (b) of a spherical power less than 10 dioptres but with a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres. 7£78.31
8. Glasses with multifocal lenses of a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but not more than 14 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres.8£304.08
9. Glasses with prism-controlled multifocal lenses of any power or with multifocal lenses- (a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) with a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power. 9£393.58
10. Glasses with multifocal lenses- (a) of a spherical power of more than 20 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) with a cylindrical power of more than 10 dioptres with any spherical power. 10£539.01
11. Glasses not falling within any of paragraphs 1 to 10 for which a prescription is given in consequence of a sight test by a Local Health Board otherwise than under an arrangement under Part 6 of the 2006 Act.11£539.01
12. Contact lenses for which a prescription is given in consequence of a sight test by a Local Health Board otherwise than under an arrangement under Part 6 of the 2006 Act.12£57.97
SCHEDULE 2 Schedule 3 to the Optical Regulations as substituted by these Regulations Regulation 2(4) SCHEDULE 3 Voucher Values – Repair Regulation 19(2) and (3)
(1) Nature of Repair (2) Number Codes - Values
1234567891011
£££££££££££
Repair or replacement of one lens6.1016.2773.73135.26186.6215.2634.07146.96191.70264.42264.42
Repair or replacement of two lenses12.2032.54147.47270.52373.2430.5168.14293.91383.41528.84528.84
Repair or replacement of: the front of a frame8.648.648.648.648.648.648.648.648.648.648.64
a side of a frame5.095.095.095.095.095.095.095.095.095.095.09
the whole frame10.1710.1710.1710.1710.1710.1710.1710.1710.1710.1710.17
EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/818) (“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 and the Schedules to these Regulations amend Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Optical Regulations to change the value of vouchers issued in respect of the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 3 makes transitional provision in relation to vouchers issued or completed but not used or accepted before 21 October 2024.

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.

2006 c. 42. There are amendments to section 203 which are not relevant to these Regulations. S.I. 1997/818 as amended by S.I. 2016/305 (W. 101), S.I. 2016/1059 (W. 250) and S.I 2023/1047 (W. 178). There are other amending instruments which are not relevant to these Regulations.