The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998

Use of vouchers for the supply of optical appliancesS

12.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (4) [F1, (5) and (6)], a patient to whom a voucher, duly completed in accordance with regulation 9, 10 or 11, has been issued may present it to a supplier who supplies or is to supply him with an optical appliance, provided that the arrangements for supply are made within [F22 years] of the date on which the voucher was issued.

(2) A supplier may accept the voucher in substitution for payment by the patient of an amount equal to its redemption value, being the whole or part of the cost incurred for the supply of an optical appliance.

(3) A voucher relating to glasses may be accepted in connection with the supply of contact lenses.

(4) Before presenting the voucher to the supplier the patient shall sign on the voucher–

(a)a declaration in writing to the effect that he is an eligible person indicating the grounds of his eligibility; and

(b)an undertaking in writing to the effect that, if he is unable to show that he is an eligible person, he will pay to the responsible authority an amount equal to the voucher’s redemption value.

(5) A patient who is an eligible person only by virtue of regulation 8(2)(d) or by virtue of his resources being treated in accordance with regulation 8(3)(e) or (f) as being less than his requirements shall–

(a)before presenting the voucher to the supplier, apply to the Secretary of State for a notice of entitlement; and

(b)on the same occasion as he presents the supplier with a voucher in accordance with paragraph (1), show a current notice of entitlement to the supplier and permit [F3the supplier] to copy such details as may be required for the purposes of regulation 13(2)(c)(iii) [F4or (2C)(c)(iii)].

[F5(6) When the patient presents the voucher–

(a)the supplier shall ask him to produce satisfactory evidence that he is an eligible person, unless the supplier, in cases other than where the patient is an eligible person by virtue of regulation 8(2)(c) or (d) already has satisfactory evidence of entitlement available to him;

(b)if the patient has been asked for but, not produced satisfactory evidence of entitlement, the supplier shall record the fact on the voucher.]