Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Optical Charges and Payments Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the optical 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. The Regulations also amend the General Ophthalmic Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 (“the ophthalmic Regulations”) which provide for the arrangements under which ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians provide General Ophthalmic Services.

Regulation 2 amends regulation 8 of the optical Regulations to increase the income level at which recipients of tax credits are entitled to health service optical vouchers.

Regulation 3 amends regulation 19 of the optical Regulations 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 4 and the Schedule amend the Schedules to the optical Regulations. Firstly, the value of vouchers issued towards the costs of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses is increased; secondly, the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints, photochromic lenses and special categories of appliances are increased; and thirdly, the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances is increased The rate of increase is approximately 2.5% except that the value of vouchers for certain people with high prescription lenses is increased by approximately 10%.

Regulation 5 provides that the increases contained in regulations 3 and 4 only apply in relation to vouchers accepted or used on or after 1st April 2004.

Regulation 6 amends regulation 15 of the ophthalmic Regulations to increase the income level used in determining eligibility for free health service sight tests for recipients of tax credits.