{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-optical-charges-and-payments-regulations-1989/regulation-9",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-optical-charges-and-payments-regulations-1989/regulation-9.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1989/396",
  "legislation_title": "The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1989",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/national-health-service-optical-charges-and-payments-regulations-1989",
  "path": "regulation/9",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "9",
  "heading": "Issue of vouchers by ophthalmic medical practitioners or opticians",
  "text": "(1) A person making an application for a testing of sight pursuant to regulation 13 of the Ophthalmic Services Regulations who considers that he may be an eligible person and wishes a payment to be made under these Regulations in his case shall indicate to the ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician to whom the application is made that he may be an eligible person.\n(2) An ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician who, following a testing of sight under the Ophthalmic Services Regulations, issues a prescription for an optical appliance to a patient–\n(a) who has indicated that he may be an eligible person; or\n(b) who (whether or not he has so indicated) is issued with a prescription for a complex appliance,\nshall, in the circumstances described in paragraph (4) but subject to paragraph (5), issue to the patient a voucher relating to the optical appliance prescribed on the same occasion as he issues the prescription in accordance with paragraph 10(1) of Schedule 1 of the Ophthalmic Services Regulations.\n(3) The ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician issuing the voucher shall sign it and shall–\n(a) mark on it the letter code specified in column 2 of Schedule 1 which relates to the type of optical appliance prescribed as set out in column 1 of that Schedule;\n(b) duly complete the relevant parts of the voucher with the name and address of the patient, the patient’s age if under 19, particulars of the prescription issued to the patient, the date on which the patient’s sight was tested and the date of issue of the voucher.\n(4) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (2) are where the ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician, having consulted any records which he has relating to the patient and made such enquiry of the patient as he considers relevant, is satisfied that–\n(a) the patient requires an optical appliance for the first time or an optical appliance to a prescription the particulars of which differ from those relating to his existing appliance; or\n(b) the patient requires an optical appliance because his existing optical appliance has been rendered unserviceable by fair wear and tear.\n(5) Where a patient requires an optical appliance to a prescription the particulars of which differ from those relating to his existing appliance only because the patient is non-tolerant of that appliance, and has been so since it was supplied to him, no voucher shall be issued unless the Family Practioner Committee responsible for the arrangements for the sight test, being satisfied that the prescription for that existing appliance was clinically correct, has authorised the issue of a voucher.\n(6) Unless regulation 10(4) applies, not more than one voucher shall be issued to a patient in respect of any one optical appliance prescribed.\n(7) A person making an application to an ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician for a testing of sight otherwise than under general ophthalmic services who considers that he may be an eligible person by virtue of regulation 8(2)(d) and wishes a payment to be made under these Regulations in his case shall indicate to the ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician to whom the application is made that he may be an eligible person; and that practitioner or optician may, if he issues a prescription for an optical appliance, issue a voucher relating to it in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6) as though the testing of sight were carried out and the prescription were issued under general ophthalmic services.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/396/regulation/9",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T15:47:59.924300+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}