(1)    These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Amendment Regulations 2008 and shall come into force on 1st April 2008.

(2)    These Regulations apply in relation to England.

(3)    In these Regulations “the Optical Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997.

Regulation 19 of the Optical Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair) is amended as follows—

(a)    in paragraph (1)(b), for “£50.50” substitute “£51.90”; and

(b)    in paragraph (3), for “£13.00” substitute “£13.40”.

(1)    Schedules 1 to 3 of the Optical Regulations are amended in accordance with the following provisions of this regulation.

(2)    In Schedule 1 (voucher letter codes and face values-supply and replacement)—

(a)    omit paragraph 10 (including columns (2) and (3) of that paragraph); and

(b)    in column (3) of the table (face value of voucher), for each amount specified in column (1) of the table below substitute the amount specified in relation to it in column (2) of the table below:

(3)    In Schedule 2 (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

(a)    in paragraph 1(1)(a), for “£11.30” substitute “£11.60”;

(b)    in paragraph (1)(1)(b), for “£13.50” substitute “£13.90”;

(c)    in paragraph 1(1)(c), for “£3.80” substitute “£3.90”;

(d)    in paragraph 1(1)(d), for “£4.30” substitute “£4.40”;

(e)    in paragraph 1(1)(e), for “£57.00”, “£50.50” and “£27.30” substitute “£58.50”, “£51.90” and “£28.00” respectively;

(f)    in paragraph 1(1)(g), for “£57.00” substitute “£58.50”;

(g)    in paragraph 2(a), for “£13.00” substitute “£13.40”; and

(h)    in paragraph 2(b), for “£33.00” substitute “£33.90”.

(4)    For Schedule 3 (voucher values-repair), substitute the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

The amounts substituted by regulations 2 and 3 shall apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 17 of the Optical Regulations on or after 1st April 2008.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health

Ann Keen

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department of Health

27th February 2008

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 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.

Regulation 2 amends regulation 19 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 voucher to the cost of a repair of a frame.

Regulation 3 and the Schedule amend the Schedules to the Optical Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the costs of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses, to increase the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints, photochromic lenses and special categories of appliances and to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances. The rate of increase in the value of vouchers in these Regulations is approximately 2.7%.

A full Impact Assessment has not been produced for this Instrument as it has no impact on the cost of business, charities or voluntary bodies.