Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and shall come into operation—

(a) except for regulations 3 and 6, on 1st April 2002; and

(b) regulations 3 and 6 on 9th April 2002.

(2) In these Regulations—

(a) “the 1997 Regulations” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(1).

(b) “the 1986 Regulations” means the General Ophthalmic Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986(2).

Amendment of the 1997 Regulations

2.  In regulation 2 of the 1997 Regulations (charges for optical appliances supplied by an HSS trust)—

(a) in paragraph (3) for “£43·90” there shall be substituted “£44·60”; and

(b) in paragraph (5)(b) for “£53·80” and “£87·50” in both places where they occur there shall be substituted “£54·70” and “£89·00” respectively.

3.  In regulation 8(3)(c) and (g)(3) of the 1997 Regulations (eligibility — supply of optical appliances) for “£71·00” on each occasion it appears there shall be substituted “£72·20”.

4.  In regulation 19 of the 1997 Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(b) for “£43·90” there shall be substituted “£44·60”; and

(b) in paragraph (3) for “£11·30” there shall be substituted “£11·50”.

5.—(1) In Schedule 1 to the 1997 Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values — supply and replacement)(4) 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
£ 30·00	£30·50
£ 45·60	£46·40
£ 62·10	£63·20
£140·30	£142·70
£ 51·80	£52·70
£ 65·90	£67·00
£ 79·60	£81·00
£154·30 (in both places where it appears)	£157·00
£ 43·90	£44·60

(2) In Schedule 2 to the 1997 Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

(a) in paragraph 1(1)(a) (prism — single vision lens) for “£6·30” there shall be substituted “£9·90”;

(b) in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism — other lens) for “£7·20” there shall be substituted “£11·90”;

(c) in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for “£3·20” there shall be substituted “£3·30”;

(d) in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for “£3·70” there shall be substituted “£3·80”;

(e) in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses)—

(i) in sub-head (i) for “£49·40” there shall be substituted “£50·20”;

(ii) in sub-head (ii) for “£43·90” there shall be substituted “£44·60”; and

(iii) in sub-head (iii) for “£23·80” there shall be substituted “£24·20”;

(f) in paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames) for “£49·40” there shall be substituted “£50·20”;

(g) in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment — single vision lenses) for “£10·50” there shall be substituted “£10·70”; and

(h) in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment — other cases) for “£26·50” there shall be substituted “£27·00”.

(3) For Schedule 3 to the 1997 Regulations (voucher values— repair)(5) there shall be substituted the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule.

Amendment of the 1986 Regulations

6.  In regulation 15(2)(c) and (g) of the 1986 Regulations (sight tests — eligibility) for “£71·00” on each occasion it appears there shall be substitutted “£72·20”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 7th March 2002.

L.S.

D. J. Thompson

A Senior Officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

The Department of Finance and Personal hereby approves the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 7th March 2002.

L.S.

R. Scott

A Senior Officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel