Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the principal 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 eye sight tests and the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 2 amends the definition of “health service sight test fee” in regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations to relate it to the fees set out in Part 2 of the Statement in relation to a testing of sight carried out either by an ophthalmic medical practitioner or by an optician. It also inserts a definition of “the Statement” which means the Statement prepared by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (as determined under regulation 12 of the General Ophthalmic Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 (S.R. 1986 No. 163)) as to the fees to be paid in relation to a testing of sight carried out either by an ophthalmic medical practitioner or by an optician.