
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1991 and shall come into force on 1st April 1991.
(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1989.
2 
In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (Interpretation)—
(a) in the definition of “complex appliance”—
(i) in sub-paragraph (b) for “lens;” there is substituted “lens, or”; and
(ii) after sub-paragraph (b) there is added the following sub-paragraph:—“
(c) is a prism-controlled bifocal lens;”;
(b) in the definition of “responsible authority”—
(i) in sub-paragraph (b) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust” ; and
(ii) after sub-paragraph (c) there is inserted the following sub-paragraph:—“
(d) in relation to a voucher issued pursuant to regulation 11 or completed pursuant to regulation 17 by an NHS trust, the District Health Authority in whose district the patient resides;”; and
(c) in the definition of “voucher” in sub-paragraph (b) after the words “health authority” in each place where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
3 
In regulation 2(2) of the principal Regulations (charges for glasses and contact lenses) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
4 
In regulation 8(5) of the principal Regulations (eligibility-supply of optical appliances) after the words “health authority” in both places where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
5 
In regulation 11 of the principal Regulations (issue of vouchers by health authorities) after the words “health authority” in each place where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
6 
In regulation 14(1) of the principal Regulations (payments to patients in health authority cases) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
7 
In regulation 20 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—
(a) in paragraph (1)(b) for “£28.85” there is substituted “£32.15”; and
(b) in paragraph (3) for “£7.70” there is substituted “£8.20”.
8 

(1) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values-supply and replacement) in column 1 (type of optical applicance)—
(a) in paragraph 3—
(i) in sub-paragraph (b) for the words “exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of 10 or more dioptres”; and
(ii) in sub-paragraph (c) for the words “not exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of less than 10 dioptres”; and
(b) in paragraph 6—
(i) for the words “prism segment bifocal lenses” there are substituted the words “prism-controlled bifocal lenses”;
(ii) in sub-paragraph (b) for the words “exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of 10 or more dioptres”; and
(iii) in sub-paragraph (c) for the words “not exceeding 10 dioptres” there are substituted the words “of less than 10 dioptres”; and
(c) in paragraphs 7 and 8 after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
(2) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations, in column 3 (face value of voucher) for each amount specified in column 1 of the Table below (old amount) there is substituted the amount specified in relation to it in column 2 of that Table (new amount).

Column 1 Column 2
Old amount New amount
£18.00 £19.30
£28.75 £30.50
£47.00 £48.00
£34.75 £37.00
£59.75 £61.00
£100.00 (in both places where it appears) £102.00
£28.85 £32.15
(3) In Schedule 2 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 “£4.00” there is substituted “£4.10”;
(b) in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism-other lens) for “£5.00” there is substituted “£5.10”;
(c) in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for “£2.00” there is substituted “£2.05”;
(d) in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for “£2.50” there is substituted “£2.55”;
(e) in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses)—
(i) in sub-head (i) for “£34.50” there is substituted “£35.20”,
(ii) in sub-head (ii) for “£30.70” there is substituted “£31.30”, and
(iii) in sub-bead (iii) for “£16.60” there is substituted “£16.90”;
(f) in paragraph 1(1)(f) (photochromic lenses)—
(i) after the words “health authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”, and
(ii) for “£2.00” there is substituted “£2.05” and for “£2.50” there is substituted “£2.55”;
(g) in paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames)—
(i) after the words “health authority” in each place where they occur there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”, and
(ii) for “£34.50” there is substituted “£35.20”;
(h) in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment-single vision lens) for “£3.50” there is substituted “£3.60”; and
(i) in paragraph 2(b) (minimum conmplex appliance payment-other lenses) for “£18.75” there is substituted “£19.25”.
(4) For Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (voucher values-repair) there is substituted the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.
9 
In regulation 2(1) of the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 in the definition of “complex appliance”—
(a) in sub-paragraph (ii) for “lens;” there is substituted “lens, or”; and
(b) after sub-paragraph (ii) there is added the following sub-paragraph:—“
(iii) is a prism-controlled bifocal lens;”.
10 

(1) The National Health Service (Charges for Appliances) Regulations 1974 shall be amended in accordance with the following paragraphs of this regulation.
(2) In regulation 5 (optical appliances) after the word “Authority” in each place where it occurs there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
(3) In regulation 6 (investigations)—
(a) in paragraph (1) after the word “Authority” in each place where it occurs there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”;
(b) in paragraph (3) for the words “, it shall” there are substituted the words “or an NHS trust refers a matter for investigation under paragraph (1), the Authority or NHS trust shall”; and
(c) in paragraph (4) after the word “Authority” there are inserted the words “or NHS trust”.
11 
The amendments made by regulations 7 and 8(2), (3) and (4) of and the Schedule to, these Regulations apply only in relation to a voucher—
(a) accepted or used on or after 1st April 1991 pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 18 of the principal Regulations; or
(b) sent to a health authority pursuant to regulation 14(2)(c) of the principal Regulations in respect of cost incurred on or after that date.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health.
Virginia Bottomley
Minister of State,
Department of Health
10th March 1991
SCHEDULE
Regulation 8(4)

SCHEDULE 3
Regulation 20(2) and (3)


1  2
Nature of repair to appliance  Letter codes-values
 A B C D E F and G
 £ £ £ £ £ £
Repair or replacement of one lens 5.55 11.15 19.90 14.40 26.40 46.90
Repair or replacement of two lenses 11.10 22.30 39.80 28.80 52.80 93.80
Repair or replacement of—
 the front of a frame 7.30 7.30 7.30 7.30 7.30 7.30

 a side of a frame 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00

 the whole frame 8.20 8.20 8.20 8.20 8.20 8.20