Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments and General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2024 and come into force on 1 April 2024.

(2) In these Regulations—

“ the 1998 Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998( 2), and

“ the 2006 Regulations” means the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2006( 3).

Amendment of the 1998 Regulations

2.  The 1998 Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 6.

Amendment of regulation 19 of the 1998 Regulations

3.  In regulation 19 (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—

(a) in paragraph (1)(b) for “£60.75” substitute “£61.77 ”,

(b) in paragraph (3)(a) for “£15.80” substitute “£16.06”,

(c) in paragraph (3)(b) for “£68.45” substitute “£69.60”.

Amendment of schedule 1 of the 1998 Regulations

4.  In schedule 1 (voucher letter codes and face values supply and replacement) in column 3 of the table (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 (new amount).

Amendment of schedule 2 of the 1998 Regulations

5.  For schedule 2 (voucher values – repair) substitute the schedule 2 set out in the schedule of these Regulations.

Amendment of schedule 3 of the 1998 Regulations

6.  In schedule 3 (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small glasses and special frames and complex appliances)—

(a) in paragraph 1(1)(a) for “£13.45” substitute “£13.67”,

(b) in paragraph 1(1)(b) for “£16.40” substitute “£16.67”,

(c) in paragraph 1(1)(c) for “£4.70” substitute “£4.77”,

(d) in paragraph 1(1)(d) for “£5.20” substitute “£5.28”,

(e) in paragraph 1(1)(e)—

(i) in sub-head (i) for “£68.45” substitute “£69.60”,

(ii) in sub-head (ii) for “£60.75” substitute “£61.77”,

(iii) in sub-head (iii) for “£32.80” substitute “£33.35”,

(f) in paragraph 1(1)(g) for “£68.45”, “£60.75” and “£32.80” substitute “£69.60”, “£61.77” and “£33.35” respectively,

(g) in paragraph 2(a) for “£15.55” substitute “£15.81”,

(h) in paragraph 2(b) for “£39.90” substitute “£40.57”.

Amendment of the 2006 Regulations

7.  The 2006 Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 8 to 12.

Amendment of regulation 2 of the 2006 Regulations

8.  In regulation 2(1) (interpretation) omit the definition of “patient practice record form”( 4).

Amendment of regulation 12 of the 2006 Regulations

9.  In regulation 12 (removal from ophthalmic list)—

(a) in paragraph (2)—

(i) omit the words from “after” to “optician,”,

(ii) for “6” substitute “12”,

(b) in paragraph (3) omit the words from “after” to “optician”.

Amendment of regulation 22 of the 2006 Regulations

10.  In regulation 22(2) (application for an eye examination)( 5) omit the words from “and, where” to the end.

Amendment of regulation 23 of the 2006 Regulations

11.  In regulation 23 (application on behalf of children or incapable persons)( 6)—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) omit “Subject to paragraph (2),”,

(ii) omit the words from “, and, where” to “signed”,

(iii) in sub-paragraph (b) omit “or giving such a signature”,

(iv) in head (iii) omit “or give such a signature”,

(b) omit paragraph (2).

Amendment of schedule 1 of the 2006 Regulations

12.  In schedule 1 (terms of service)—

(a) omit paragraph 5 (visits),

(b) in paragraph 13(1) (payments), for “6” substitute “3”.

Savings provision - regulations 3 to 6

13.  The amendments made by regulations 3 to 6 have no effect in relation to a voucher accepted pursuant to regulation 12 of the 1998 Regulations or used pursuant to regulation 17 of the 1998 Regulations prior to these Regulations coming into force.

Regulation 5

SCHEDULE

Regulation 19(2) and (3)

“SCHEDULE  2 VOUCHER VALUES – REPAIR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend (a) the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 (“ the 1998 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 and (b) the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (“ the 2006 Regulations”) on the provision of general ophthalmic services under the National Health Service in Scotland.

These Regulations amend the voucher values in the 1998 Regulations to—

These Regulations amend the 2006 Regulations to—

Regulation 13 makes savings provision in relation to the amendments made by regulations 3 to 6. The increases to the voucher values in the 1998 Regulations do not apply to vouchers accepted or used before these Regulations come into force.