Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 1935

The National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 1988

---

© Crown Copyright 1988

Statutory Instruments printed from this website are printed under the superintendence and authority of the Controller of HMSO being the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament.

The legislation contained on this web site is subject to Crown Copyright protection. It may be reproduced free of charge provided that it is reproduced accurately and that the source and copyright status of the material is made evident to users.

It should be noted that the right to reproduce the text of Statutory Instruments does not extend to the Queen's Printer imprints which should be removed from any copies of the Statutory Instrument which are issued or made available to the public. This includes reproduction of the Statutory Instrument on the Internet and on intranet sites. The Royal Arms may be reproduced only where they are an integral part of the original document.

The text of this Internet version of the Statutory Instrument which is published by the Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament has been prepared to reflect the text as it was Made. A print version is also available and is published by The Stationery Office Limited as the The National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 1988, ISBN 011087935X. The print version may be purchased by clicking here. Braille copies of this Statutory Instrument can also be purchased at the same price as the print edition by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0870 600 5522 or e-mail:customer.services@tso.co.uk.

Further information about the publication of legislation on this website can be found by referring to the Frequently Asked Questions.

To ensure fast access over slow connections, large documents have been segmented into "chunks". Where you see a "continue" button at the bottom of the page of text, this indicates that there is another chunk of text available.

1988 No. 1935

NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE, ENGLAND AND WALES

The National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 1988

The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of powers conferred by paragraph 2A of Schedule 12 to the National Health Service Act 1977^[1] and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:—

Citation, commencement and interpretation
    1.—(1)  These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 1988 and shall come into force on 1st December 1988.

    (2)  In these Regulations, the"principal Regulations" means the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Regulations 1986^[2] .

Amendment of the principal Regulations
    2.—(1)  In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (interpretation) after the definition of"responsible authority" there is inserted the following definition:—
""small glasses" means glasses the lens apertures of which have datum centres not more than 56 millimetres apart; and for this purpose"datum centre" is to be construed in accordance with Part One of British Standard 3521: 1962 (Glossary of Terms relating to Ophthalmic Lenses and Spectacle Frames) published by the British Standards Institution, as effective immediately before 7th November 1988;" .



    (2)  In regulation 7 of the principal Regulations (payments to suppliers) at the end of paragraph (2)(c) there is added the following head:—
"(iv)  where the claim relates to a voucher the value of which is increased in accordance with paragraph 1(1)(e) of Part II of Schedule 1, certified that the glasses supplied were small glasses." .



    (3)  In Part II of Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, special glasses and complex appliances)—
 (a) for paragraph 1(1)(e) there is substituted the following:—
"(e)  by £31.50 in respect of small glasses;"

 (b) after paragraph 1(3) there is added the following:—
"(4) Where the face value of a voucher is increased in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(g) of this paragraph, it may not be further increased in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(e) of this paragraph." .

Saving for existing vouchers
    3.    The amendments made by regulation 2 of these Regulations shall not have effect in relation to any voucher issued before these Regulations come into force, or in relation to any claim for payment in respect of any such voucher.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health.

D. Mellor

Minister of State, Department of Health

7th November 1988

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Payments for Optical Appliances) Regulations 1986 which provide for payments to be made, by means of a voucher system, in respect of the cost of optical appliances supplied to certain categories of persons following a sight test under the National Health Service in England and Wales.

The amendments made by regulation 2 concern the inclusion in the voucher of a supplement for the cost of unusually small glasses, typically for very young children. They alter the type of glasses which qualify for the supplement from glasses prescribed for a person whose pupils are not more than 60 millimetres apart to glasses with lens apertures the datum centres of which are not more than 56 millimetres apart ("small glasses" ). Regulation 2(2) makes it a condition of payment that where the claim for payment is increased by the supplement, the supplier must certify that the glasses supplied are small glasses.

Regulation 3 provides that the amendments are not to affect the value of vouchers issued before the coming into force of these Regulations.

British Standard 3521: 1962, referred to in regulation 2(1) of these Regulations, may be obtained from any of the sales outlets operated by the British Standards Institution or direct by post from the Institution at Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6LE.

[1] 1977 c. 49; see section 128(1) for the definitions of `prescribed' and `regulations'; paragraph 2A of Schedule 12 was inserted by the Health and Social Security Act 1984 (c. 48), Schedule 1, Part I, paragraph 3. back

[2] S.I. 1986/976, amended by S.I. 1986/1136, 1988/428, 552 and 1435. back