Explanatory note

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

Regulation 3 amends regulation 2(1) of the Regulations by amending the definitions of “mobile practice”, “primary eye examination”, “records”, and “supplementary eye examination” and by omitting the definition of “required equipment”.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 6 of the Regulations. Regulation 6(3)(e) and (f) is amended to remove the term “domiciliary visits” and to insert a reference to “a place where the patient normally resides” in each paragraph.

Regulation 5 makes minor amendments to regulation 7 of the Regulations.

Regulation 6(a) makes minor amendments to regulation 14 of the Regulations. Regulation 6(b) to (d) amends regulation 14 of the Regulations to insert references to NHS Education for Scotland and to define “NHS Education for Scotland” by reference to the NHS Education for Scotland Order 2002.

Regulation 7 inserts a new regulation 21A to provide for the inspection by Health Boards, at least every three years, of practice premises for contractors included on the Ophthalmic List for the Health Board’s area.

Regulation 8(1) amends paragraph 6(2) of Schedule 1 to the Regulations. The amendment requires all contractors providing general ophthalmic services at a day centre, residential centre or at a place where the patient normally resides to provide proper, sufficient and appropriate equipment for the provision of those services.

Regulation 8(2) omits sub-paragraphs (6) and (7) and a reference to sub-paragraph (6) in sub-paragraph (5) from paragraph 13 of Schedule 1 to the Regulations.

Regulation 8(3) substitutes a new sub-paragraph (1A) into paragraph 14 of Schedule 1 to the Regulations to remove the references to Schedules 3 and 4 to the Regulations. The tests provided for under Schedules 3 and 4 will now be set out in the Statement.

Regulation 9 makes minor amendments to Schedule 2 to the Regulations.

Regulation 10 omits tables A and B of Schedule 3 to the Regulations and makes a minor amendment to the Schedule heading.

Regulation 11 omits Schedules 4 and 5 of the Regulations.