The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 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 sight tests and the supply, replacement or repair of optical appliances and make consequential provisions arising from the dissolution of NHS trusts.

Regulation 2(2) amends the definition of “NHS sight test fee” to reflect the values of the two levels of fees for National Health Service sight tests payable to ophthalmic medical practitioners and opticians. This fee is set at two levels depending on whether or not the sight test was carried out at the patient’s home and the appropriate figure is used to calculate the value of assistance towards the cost of a private sight test.

The fee for a test at home is increased from £46.16 to £49.19 and for tests elsewhere from £16.72 to £17.82.

Regulation 2(2)(b) and (c), (3) and (5) to (9) remove references to NHS trusts and substitute references to Health Boards.

Regulation 2(2)(4) increases the income level at which entitlement arises to a voucher towards the cost of an optical appliance. The income level at which entitlement arises is increased from that which is equal to (or less than) a person’s requirements to that which exceeds requirements by fifty per cent or less of the NHS prescription charge.