Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Optical Charges and Payments (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2018 and shall come into operation on 3rd January 2019.

(2) In these Regulations "the principal Regulations" means the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(3).

Amendment of regulation 19 of the principal Regulations

2.-(1) In regulation 19 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)-

(a)in paragraph (1)(b) for "£57.00" substitute "£57.60"; and

(b)in paragraph (3) for "£14.80" substitute "£14.90".

Amendments of the Schedules to the principal Regulations

3.-(1) In Schedule 1 to the principal 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) substitute the amount specified in relation to it in column 2 of that Table (new amount).

(2) In Schedule 2(5) to the principal Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)-

(a)in paragraph 1(1)(a) (prism – single vision lens) for "£12.60" substitute "£12.70";

(b)in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism – other lens) for "£15.40" substitute "£15.60";

(c)in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for "£4.40" substitute "£4.50";

(d)in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for "£4.90" substitute "£5.00";

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

(i)in sub-head (i) for "£64.20" substitute "£64.80";

(ii)in sub-head (ii) for "£57.00" substitute "£57.60";

(iii)in sub-head (iii) for "£30.80" substitute "£31.10";

(f)for paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames) substitute -

"(g)where the voucher is issued by an ophthalmic medical practitioner, optician or a HSC Trust, the frame of which is certified by the ophthalmic medical practitioner, optician or a HSC Trust as being required to be specifically manufactured on account of the patient's facial characteristics;

(i)by £64.85 in the case of the supply or replacement of the glasses or repair of the whole frame;

(ii)by £57.55 in the case of repair of the front of the frame; and

(iii)by £31.10 in the case of repair of a side frame.;"

(g)in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment - single vision lenses) for "£14.60" substitute "£14.70"; and

(h)in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment - other cases) for "£37.40" substitute "£37.80".

(3) For Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (voucher value repair)(6), substitute the Schedule 3 as set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Application of Regulations 2 and 3

4.  The amendments made in regulations 2 and 3 apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 17 of the principal Regulations on or after xxth January 2019.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 13th December 2018

Kiera Lloyd

A senior officer of the Department of Health

The Department of Finance hereby approves the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 13th December 2018

Emer Morelli

A senior officer of the Department of Finance

Regulation 3(3)

SCHEDULESCHEDULE 3 TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS

REGULATION 19(2) AND (3)

"SCHEDULE 3VOUCHER VALUE REPAIR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 ("the principal Regulations") which provide for payment 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.

Regulation 2 amends regulation 19 of the principal 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 3 and the Schedule amend Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the principal Regulations. Firstly, the value of vouchers issued towards the costs of supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses is increased and a new provision introduced to allow practitioners to issue and certify vouchers for glasses where the frame needs to be specially manufactured; 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 repair and replacement of optical appliances is increased.

Regulation 4 provides that the increases contained in regulation 2 and 3 apply only in relation to vouchers accepted or used on or after 3rd January 2019.