Explanatory note

These Regulations introduce a scheme for a contribution to be made by Family Practitioner Committees (FPCs) towards the cost incurred by certain people (specified in regulation 3) for a sight test (Part III) and a scheme for payments to be made by FPCs and Health Authorities (HAs) in respect of the cost incurred by certain categories of persons (specified in regulation 16) for the replacement or repair of optical appliances (Part V). In addition the Regulations retain with modifications the scheme (introduced in 1986) for payments to be made by FPCs and HAs in respect of the cost incurred by certain categories of persons (specified in regulation 8) for the supply of optical appliances (Part IV). Glasses and contact lenses will continue to be supplied by HAs as part of the hospital eye service and regulation 2 enables a charge to be made for those supplies (Part II).

Under Part III of these Regulations persons who are eligible for a contribution to be made towards the cost of their sight test are those who are entitled to partial remission of National Health Service (NHS) charges if the amount of the patient contribution does not exceed the standard amount payable to opticians for sight tests under the NHS (sight test fee) and whose sight is tested an ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician whose name is included in the opthalmic list. The amount of the payment varies according to the patient’s means but cannot exceed the sight test fee.

A person is eligible under Part IV of these Regulations if his sight is tested under the NHS or (in limited circumstances – regulation 8(1)(b)) if it is tested privately. A voucher is to be issued to a patient if he appears eligible for a payment under the Regulations. The voucher is required to bear a letter code which varies according to the type of appliance prescribed and indicates a monetary value (set out in Schedule 1). The patient may use the voucher towards the cost incurred by him for the supply of the optical appliance prescribed (regulation 12) and the supplier may, on submitting the voucher, claim a payment from the FPC or HA (regulation 13). The amount of that payment will vary according to whether or not the patient is required to make a contribution (which has the effect of reducing the voucher’s value) and whether or not the optical appliance is a complex appliance (regulation 15). In some hospital eye service cases the payment may be made direct to the patient if he has been supplied with his optical appliance without using his voucher (regulation 14). Voucher values for the purposes of supply are increased by between 4½ and 10%. The voucher value for contact lenses remains unchanged.

Part V of these Regulations makes provision for payments to be made for the cost of replacement and repair of optical appliances. Those eligible are children under 16 (where the appliance is lost or damaged) and others who are entitled to full or partial remission of NHS charges, or are persons who need to wear complex appliances (where the appliance is lost or damaged as a result of illness) (regulation 16). In the case of a replacement, the voucher is completed in a similar way to a voucher for the supply of an optical appliance. In the case of repair the voucher must as well as bearing a letter code, specify the nature of the repair to be carried out (the monetary value given to which is set out in Schedule 3 and is relevant to the amount of any payment made). In the case of replacements and repairs the amount of the payment varies according to the patient’s means, so that if the patient is assessed as having to make a contribution the amount of any payment made is reduced (regulation 20).

Part VI deals with miscellaneous matters and contains provision for repayment of amounts wrongly paid (regulation 21) and for signatures by those under disability (regulation 22).

British Standard 3521: 1962, referred to in regulation 1(2) of these Regulations, may be obtained from any of the sales outlets operated by the British Standards Institution or direct by post from the Institution at Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6LE.