
2025 No. 46
Health And Personal Social Services
The Optical Charges and Payments (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025
Made 10th March 2025
Coming into operation 1st April 2025

The Department of Health makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 62, 98, 106 and 107(6) of, and Schedule 15 to, the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, with the approval of the Department of Finance.

In accordance with Article 62(3) of that Order it has consulted with such organisations as appear to it to be representative of medical practitioners practising as ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians.
Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Optical Charges and Payments (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2025.
(2) In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997.
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 “£61.40” substitute “£65.08”; and
(b) in paragraph (3) for “£15.88” substitute “£16.83”.
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), 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).

Table
Column 1Old Amount Column 2New Amount
£42.10 £44.63
£63.85 £67.68
£93.59 £99.21
£211.05 £223.71
£72.69 £77.05
£92.20 £97.73
£119.70 £126.88
£232.05 £245.97
£216.16 £229.13
(2) 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 “£13.54” substitute “£14.35”;
(b) in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism – other lens) for “£16.63” substitute “£17.63”;
(c) in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens) for “£4.80” substitute “£5.09”;
(d) in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens) for “£5.33” substitute “£5.65”;
(e) in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses)—
(i) in sub-head (i) for “£69.07” substitute “£73.21”;
(ii) in sub-head (ii) for “£61.40” substitute “£65.08”;
(iii) in sub-head (iii) for “£33.15” substitute “£35.14”;
(f) for paragraph 1(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames)—
(i) in sub-head (i) for “£69.12” substitute “£73.27”;
(ii) in sub-head (ii) for “£61.34” substitute “£65.02”;
(iii) in sub-head (iii) for “£33.15” substitute “£35.14”;
(g) in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment — single vision lenses) for “£15.67” substitute “£16.61”; and
(h) in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment — other cases) for “£40.29” substitute “£42.71”.
(3) For Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (voucher value repair), 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 1 April 2025.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 10th March 2025
Gearoid Cassidy
A senior officer of the Department of Health
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 10th March 2025
Patrick Neeson
A senior officer of the Department of Finance

SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE 3 TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS AS SUBSTITUTED BY THESE REGULATIONS
Regulation 3(3)
“
SCHEDULE 3
VOUCHER VALUE REPAIR
REGULATION 19(2) AND (3)

Letter Codes - Values
Nature of repair A£ B£ C£ D£ E£ F£ G£ H£ I£
Repair or replacement of one lens £13.90 £25.42 £41.13 £103.38 £30.05 £40.40 £55.02 £114.51 £106.15
Repair or replacement of two lenses £27.74 £50.78 £82.26 £206.76 £60.11 £80.78 £110.00 £229.02 £212.24
Repair or replacement of:         
the front of a frame £14.24 £14.24 £14.24 £14.24 £14.24 £14.24 £14.24 £14.24 £14.24
a side of a frame £8.36 £8.36 £8.36 £8.36 £8.36 £8.36 £8.36 £8.36 £8.36
the whole frame £16.90 £16.90 £16.90 £16.90 £16.90 £16.90 £16.90 £16.90 £16.90”