Statutory Instruments
NATIONAL HEALTH SEVICE, ENGLAND
Made
6th March 2000
Laid before Parliament
7th March 2000
Coming into force
1st April 2000
The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 78(1) and 126(4) of, and paragraphs 2 and 2A of Schedule 12 to, the National Health Service Act 1977(1) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations—
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Amendment Regulations 2000 and shall come into force on 1st April 2000.
(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997(2).
(3) These Regulations extend only to England.
2. In paragraph (2) of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations (interpretation), in the definition of “NHS sight test fee”, for the amount “£40.33” substitute “£41.54” and for the amount “£14.57” substitute “£15.01”.
3. In paragraph (1)(b) of regulation 15 of the principal Regulations (eligibility—replacement or repair), after “regulation 8(2)” insert “(b),”.
4. In regulation 19 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—
(a)in paragraph (1)(b), for “£42.00” substitute “£42.80”; and
(b)in paragraph (3), for “£10.80” substitute “£11.00”.
5.—(1) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values—supply and replacement) in column (3) (face value of voucher), for each amount specified in column 1 of the table below substitute the amount specified in relation to it in column 2 of that table.
| (1) | (2) |
|---|---|
| Old amount | New amount |
| £28.70 | £29.30 |
| £43.60 | £44.50 |
| £59.40 | £60.60 |
| £134.20 | £136.90 |
| £49.50 | £50.50 |
| £63.00 | £64.30 |
| £75.80 | £77.30 |
| £147.50 (in both places where it appears) | £150.50 |
| £42.00 | £42.80 |
(2) In Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—
(a)in paragraph 1(1)(a) (prism—single vision lens), for “£6.00” substitute “£6.10”;
(b)in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism—other lens), for “£6.90” substitute “£7.00”;
(c)in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted or photochromic lens), for “£3.00” substitute “£3.10”;
(d)in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted or photochromic lens), for “£3.50” substitute “£3.60”;
(e)in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses), for “£47.30” substitute “£48.20”, for “£42.00” substitute “£42.80”, and for “£22.70” substitute “£23.20”;
(f)in paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames), for “£47.30” substitute “£48.20”;
(g)in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment—single vision lenses), for “£10.00” substitute “£10.20”;
(h)in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment—other lenses), for “£25.40” substitute “£25.90”.
(3) For Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (voucher values—repair), substitute the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.
6. The amendments made by these Regulations apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 17 of the principal Regulations on or after 1st April 2000.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health
Hunt
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department of Health
6th March 2000
Regulation 5(3)
Regulation 19(2) and (3)
| (1) | (2) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Repair | Letter Codes-Values | |||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H&I | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Repair or replacement of one lens | 9.10 | 16.70 | 24.80 | 63.00 | 19.80 | 26.50 | 33.20 | 69.80 |
| Repair or replacement of two lenses | 18.40 | 33.60 | 49.70 | 125.90 | 39.60 | 53.10 | 66.40 | 139.50 |
Repair or replacement of:
| 9.40 | 9.40 | 9.40 | 9.40 | 9.40 | 9.40 | 9.40 | 9.40 |
| 5.60 | 5.60 | 5.60 | 5.60 | 5.60 | 5.60 | 5.60 | 5.60 |
| 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00 | 11.00” |
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 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 the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.
Regulation 2 amends the definition of “NHS sight test fee” in regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations to increase the two levels of fees for such tests.
Regulation 3 makes a minor correction.
Regulation 4 amends regulation 19 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair) 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 5(1) amends Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the costs of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses.
Regulation 5(2) amends Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations to increase the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints, photochromic lenses and special categories of appliances.
Regulation 5(3) and the Schedule substitute a new Schedule 3 in the principal Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances.
The rate of increase is, on average, approximately 2.0%.
1977 c. 49; see section 128(1), as amended by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19) (“the 1990 Act”), section 26(2)(g) and (i), for the definitions of “prescribed” and “regulations”. Section 126(4) was amended by the 1990 Act, section 65(2) and by the Health Act 1999 (c. 8) (“the 1999 Act”), Schedule 4, paragraph 37(6). Paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 12 was substituted by the Health and Medicines Act 1988 (c. 49) (“the 1988 Act”), Schedule 2, paragraph 8(1); and paragraph 2A of Schedule 12 was inserted by the Health and Social Security Act 1984 (c. 48), Schedule 1, Part I, paragraph 3 and amended by section 13(2) and (3) of the 1988 Act. The functions of the Secretary of State under the National Health Service Act 1977 are, so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by article 2(a) of the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999, S.I. 1999/672 as amended by section 66(5) of the 1999 Act.
S.I. 1997/818 as amended by S.I. 1997/2488, 1998/499, 1999/609 and 1999/2562.