General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These regulations further amend the General Ophthalmic Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 (“the principal regulations”) to make provision relating to ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians (“contractors”) who have been suspended from the provision of general ophthalmic services by the Tribunal or whom the Tribunal has declared not fit to be engaged in any capacity in the provision of those services.

The regulations also provide for payments to suspended contractors.

The regulations amend Schedule 1 to the principal regulations (contractors' terms of service) as follows:—

1.  To prevent the employment, as an assistant or deputy, of any contractor suspended by the Tribunal who is also subject to a declaration by the Tribunal that he is not fit to be engaged in any capacity in the provision of general ophthalmic services;

2.  To stipulate that a contractor must display, at each place where he provides general ophthalmic services a notice and leaflet (to be supplied or approved by the Central Services Agency) giving patients information about the optical voucher scheme whereby eligible persons can obtain help, by means of a voucher system, with costs incurred in connection with the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

3.  To require a contractor to establish and operate a system to deal with complaints. There is provision about who may complain, what they may complain about and how such complaints are to be dealt with and the publicity which a contractor must give to his complaints procedure. A contractor is also required to co-operate with complaints procedures which are operated by Boards.

The regulations also make other minor amendments.

A copy of the statement referred to in regulation 7 (which inserts a new regulation 14A into the principal regulations) can be obtained free of charge from the Central Services Agency, 25 Adelaide Street, BT12 8FH.

Paragraph 8E of Schedule 11 to the 1972 Order, one of the enabling provisions under which these regulations are made, is inserted by Article 4 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (“the 1995 Order”). The provisions of the 1995 Order, which amend the 1972 Order in relation to opticians and ophthalmic medical practitioners, are brought into operation on 29th March 1996 by virtue of the Health and Personal Social Services (Amendment) (1995 Order) (Commencement No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 123 (C. 6)).