Explanatory note

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1989, 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 the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 2 further amends the definition of “NHS sight test fee” in regulation 1(2) of the 1989 Regulations by increasing by approximately 3% the amount by which entitlement to assistance towards the cost of a private sight test carried out at a place where the patient normally resides, and the value of a voucher towards such cost or towards the supply (in certain circumstances) of glasses or contact lenses, is calculated.