Regulation 13 Testing of sight

(1)

A contract must contain terms to the effect specified in this regulation.

(2)

A contractor shall, having accepted an application from or on behalf of a patient for the testing of sight—

(a)

secure the testing of the patient’s sight to determine whether the patient needs to wear or use an optical appliance; and

(b)

in so doing, shall secure the fulfilment of any duty imposed on a tester of sight by, or in regulations made under, section 26 of the Opticians Act (duties to be performed on sight testing)^f1.

(3)

Where a contractor or an ophthalmic practitioner employed by it to perform the contract is of the opinion that a patient whose sight was tested pursuant to paragraph (2)—

(a)

shows on examination signs of injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere which may required medical treatment; or

(b)

is not likely to attain a satisfactory standard of vision notwithstanding the application of corrective lenses,

the contractor shall, if appropriate, and with the consent of the patient—

(i)

refer the patient to an ophthalmic hospital, which includes an ophthalmic department of a hospital,

(ii)

inform the patient’s doctor or GP practice that it has done so, and

(iii)

give the patient a written statement that it has done so, with details of the referral.

(4)

Where a contractor or an ophthalmic practitioner employed by it to perform the contract tests the sight of a patient diagnosed as suffering from diabetes or glaucoma, it shall inform the patient’s doctor or GP practice of the results of the test.

(5)

Where a contractor or an ophthalmic practitioner employed by it to perform the contract issues to a patient a prescription for glasses, it shall, immediately thereafter, require the patient to acknowledge its receipt on a sight test form.

(6)

A prescription for glasses issued following a testing of sight under general ophthalmic services shall be completed by the method recommended in Appendix A to British Standard BS 2738 Part 3: 2004 (Glossary of Terms relating to Ophthalmic Lenses and Spectacle Frames) published by the British Standards Institution^f2 and shall comply with any requirements as to its form specified in any direction made under section 120 for the purposes of payment in respect of the sight test.

Annotations

Footnotes

f1: Section 26 was amended by S.I. 2005/848.
f2: Copies can be obtained from the British Standards Institute, 389 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 4AL or online at www.bsi-global.com/en/Standards-and-Publications/.