Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
S.R. 2005/71 · Made 9 March 2005 · Extends to Northern Ireland
HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES
Made 9th March 2005
Coming into operation –
Except for regulations 2 and 6 1st April 2005
Regulations 2 and 6 6th April 2005
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safetyf1 in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 62, 98, 106 and 107(6) of, and Schedule 15 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972f2 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, and after consultation with such organisations as appeared to the Department to be representative of medical practitioners practising as ophthalmic medical practitioners, and ophthalmic opticians, as required by Article 62(3) of the said Order, hereby makes the following Regulations:
Annotations to the whole text
Footnotes
- f1
-
See S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1) Article 3(6)
- f2
-
S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14) as amended by Article 3(2) of, and paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to, the Health and Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 (S.I. 1984/1158 (N.I. 8)); paragraphs 4 and 5 of Article 8 of the Health and Medicines (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/2249 (N.I. 24)); Article 34 of, and Part II of Schedule 5 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1)) there are other amendments which are not relevant
Contents
- 1Citation, commencement and interpretation
- Part I: AMENDMENTS OF OPTICAL REGULATIONS
- 2Amendment of regulation 8 of the Optical Regulations
- 3Amendment of regulation 19 of the Optical Regulations
- 4Amendment of the Schedules to the Optical Regulations
- 5Application of Regulations 3 and 4
- Part II: AMENDMENT OF OPHTHALMIC REGULATIONS
- 6Amendment of regulation 15 of the Ophthalmic Regulations Repealed
- Signature
- Schedule TO THE OPTICAL REGULATIONS AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS
- Explanatory note
1Citation, commencement and interpretationI1
These Regulations may be cited as the Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation –
except for regulations 2 and 6 on 1st April 2005; and
regulations 2 and 6 on 6th April 2005.
In these Regulations –
2Amendment of regulation 8 of the Optical RegulationsI1
In regulation 8(3)(k)(ii)f1 of the Optical Regulations (eligibility – supply of optical appliances) for “£14,600” there shall be substituted “£15,050”.
3Amendment of regulation 19 of the Optical RegulationsI1
In regulation 19 of the Optical Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair) –
in paragraph (1)(b) for “£46·80” there shall be substituted “£48·00”; and
in paragraph (3) for “£12·10” there shall be substituted “£12·40”.
4Amendment of the Schedules to the Optical RegulationsI1
In Schedule 1 to the Optical Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values – supply and replacement)f1, in column 3 (face value of voucher), for each amount specified in column 1 of the Table below (old amount) there shall be substituted the amount specified in relation to it in column 2 of that Table (new amount).
TABLE
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Old amount | New amount |
| £32·10 | £32·90 |
| £48·80 | £50·00 |
| £71·30 | £73·10 |
| £161·00 | £165·00 |
| £55·40 | £56·80 |
| £70·40 | £72·20 |
| £91·30 | £93·60 |
| £177·00 | £181·40 |
| £164·90 | £169·00 |
| £46·80 | £48·00 |
In Schedule 2 to the Optical Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances) –
in paragraph 1(1)(a) (prism – single vision lens) for “£10·40” there shall be substituted “£10·70”;
in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism – other lens) for “£12·50” there shall be substituted “£12·80”;
in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for “£3·50” there shall be substituted “£3·60”;
in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for “£4·00” there shall be substituted “£4·10”;
in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses) –
in sub-head (i) for “£52·80” there shall be substituted “£54·10”;
in sub-head (ii) for “£46·80” there shall be substituted “£48·00”; and
in sub-head (iii) for “£25·40” there shall be substituted “£26·00”;
in paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames) for “£52·80” there shall be substituted “£54·10”;
in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment – single vision lenses) for “£12·10” there shall be substituted “£12·40”; and
in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment – other cases) for “£30·50” there shall be substituted “£31·30”.
For Schedule 3 to the Optical Regulations (voucher values – repair)f2, there shall be substituted the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule.
5Application of Regulations 3 and 4I1
The amendments made in regulations 3 and 4 apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 17 of the Optical Regulations on or after 1st April 2005.
6Amendment of regulation 15 of the Ophthalmic RegulationsF1
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Signature
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 9th March 2005.
L.S.
Deirdre Kenny
Senior Officer of the
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 9th March 2005.
L.S.
Dr. Mary McIvor
Senior Officer of the
Department of Finance and Personnel
TO THE OPTICAL REGULATIONS AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONSI1
“SCHEDULE 3
Voucher Value – Repair
Regulation 19(2) and (3)
Letter Codes – Values Nature of repair A B C D E F G H I £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Repair or replacement of one lens 10·25 18·80 30·35 76·30 22·20 29·90 40·60 84·50 78·30 Repair or replacement of 2 lenses 20·50 37·60 60·70 152·60 44·40 59·80 81·20 169·00 156·60 Repair or replacement of: the front of a frame 10·50 10·50 10·50 10·50 10·50 10·50 10·50 10·50 10·50 a side of a frame 6·25 6·25 6·25 6·25 6·25 6·25 6·25 6·25 6·25 the whole frame 12·40 12·40 12·40 12·40 12·40 12·40 12·40 12·40 12·40 ”
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations further amend the Optical Charges and Payments Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the optical Regulations”) 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. The Regulations also amend the General Ophthalmic Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 (“the ophthalmic Regulations”) which provide for the arrangements under which ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians provide General Ophthalmic Services.
Regulation 2 amends regulation 8 of the optical Regulations to increase the income level at which recipients of tax credits are entitled to health service optical vouchers.
Regulation 3 amends regulation 19 of the optical Regulations to increase the redemption value of a voucher issued towards the cost of replacement of a single contact lens and to increase the maximum contribution by way of a voucher to the cost of repair of a frame.
Regulation 4 and the Schedule amend the Schedules to the optical Regulations. Firstly, the value of vouchers issued towards the costs of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses is increased; secondly, the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints, photochromic lenses and special categories of appliances are increased; and thirdly, the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances is increased.
Regulation 5 provides that the increases contained in regulations 3 and 4 only apply in relation to vouchers accepted or used on or after 1st April 2005.
Regulation 6 amends regulation 15 of the ophthalmic Regulations to increase the income level used in determining eligibility for free health service sight tests for recipients of tax credits.