Explanatory note

(This Note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Regulations 1986 which provide for payments to be made, by means of a voucher system, in respect of the cost incurred by certain categories of persons for the supply of optical appliances following a testing of sight under the National Health Service in England and Wales.

These Regulations substitute some categories of persons eligible for vouchers. Eligibility for those entitled to supplementary benefit, family income supplement, welfare food or exemption from prescription charges and for those entitled under a special means test is replaced by eligibility for those entitled to income support or to family credit (which replace supplementary benefit and family income supplement respectively) or to full or partial remission of certain National Health Service charges.

These Regulations make other associated minor changes and contain saving and transitional provision. They also add a requirement on a supplier who has accepted a voucher in connection with the supply of an optical appliance to submit his claim for reimbursement within three months of the supply (regulation 5(b)(i)), and alter the period within which patients whose sight has been tested by a health authority may, in certain circumstances, apply for a refund in respect of unused vouchers from six months to one month after the supply of the optical appliance (regulation 6(c)(i)).