Health Department

Dear Colleague

HOSPITAL EYE SERVICE:

1. AMENDMENTS TO THE NHS (OPTICAL CHARGES AND PAYMENTS) (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 1998

2. INCREASE IN SPECTACLE VOUCHER VALUES: FROM 1 APRIL 2000

3. EXTENSION OF ENTITLEMENT TO A REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR VOUCHER

4. REVISED CHARGES LEAFLET: FROM 1 APRIL 2000

Summary

1. This letter advises Health Boards and NHS Trusts of increases in the NHS spectacle voucher values and the allowances for repairs and replacements with effect from 1 April 2000.

The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2000

2. Health Boards and NHS Trusts are asked to note the changes to the NHS (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998.

Increase in Spectacle Voucher Values

3. The Regulations increase spectacle voucher values and the allowances for repairs and replacements. The new amounts are shown in Annexes A and B to this letter. The revised values will apply to vouchers presented to suppliers by patients on or after 1 April 2000.

Extension of Entitlement to a Replacement or Repair Voucher

4. Regulation 15(1)(b) (eligibility - replacement or repair) of the NHS (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 is being amended to extend entitlement to a replacement or repair voucher to include those eligible patients with a disability. As with the current entitlement due to illness. entitlement to replacement or repair for those with a disability will apply only where the appliance was lost or damaged as a direct result of the patient's disability.

NHS MEL(2000)31

6th June 2000
______________________________

Addresses

For action

General Managers, Health Boards
Chief Executives, NHS Trusts

For information
General Manager, Common Services Agency
General Manager, State Hospitals Board for Scotland
General Manager, Health Education Board for Scotland
Executive Director, SCPMDE
______________________________

Enquiries to:

Mr Brian D West
PHPU1:3
Mail Point 3E(South)
St Andrew’s House
EDINBURGH EH1 3DG

Tel: 0131-244 2568
Fax: 0131-244 2866
E-mail:Brian.West@scotland.gov.uk
_______________________

5. Regulation 15(1)(b) is also being amended to correct a drafting error. As currently worded, regulation 15(1)(b) excludes full-time students under the age of 19 years from obtaining a replacement or repair voucher. Full-time students should be entitled to a replacement or repair voucher on the same basis as other adults, ie where the breakage of loss occurred as a direct result of illness or disability.

6. Prior approval for issuing a replacement or repair voucher under the arrangements at paragraphs 3 and 4 will require to be obtained from Practitioner Services Division. A note explaining how the loss or damage took place should be sent together with the HES2 for approval.

Revised Leaflet HC12 - Charges and Optical Voucher Values

7. NHS Leaflet HC12, which sets out NHS charges and the value of vouchers available towards the cost of glasses and contact lenses was revised with effect from 1 April 2000. An electronic version is available on the Internet at website http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhscharges/hc1200.htm

  1. Any enquiries about the content of this letter should be addressed to Mr Brian D West, Mail Point 3E(South), St Andrew’s House (Tel: 0131 244 2568, Fax: 0131 244 2866 or E-mail: Brian.West@scotland.gov.uk).

Yours sincerely

 

 

AGNES ROBSON
Director of Primary Care

 

 

 

ANNEX A

 

VOUCHER LETTER CODES AND FACE VALUES -

SUPPLY AND REPLACEMENT FROM 1 APRIL 2000

TYPE OF OPTICAL APPLIANCE

LETTER CODE

VOUCHER VALUE

1. Glasses with single vision lenses of a spherical power of not more than 6 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 2 dioptres.

A

£29.30

2. Glasses with single vision lenses:

(a) of a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres;

(b) of a spherical power of less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres.

B

£44.50

3. Glasses with single vision lenses of a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but not more than 14 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres;

C

£60.60

4. Glasses with single vision lenses:

(a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power;

(b) of a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power.

D

£136.90

5. Glasses with bifocal lenses of a spherical power of not more than 6 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 2 dioptres.

E

£50.50

6. Glasses with bifocal lenses:

(a) of a spherical power of more than 6 dioptres but less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres;

(b) of a spherical power of less than 10 dioptres with a cylindrical power of more than 2 dioptres but not more than 6 dioptres.

F

£64.30

7. Glasses with bifocal lenses of a spherical power of 10 or more dioptres but not more than 14 dioptres with a cylindrical power of not more than 6 dioptres.

G

£77.30

8. Glasses with prism-controlled bifocal lenses of any power or with bifocal lenses:

(a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power;

(b) of a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power.

H

£150.50

9. (HES) Glasses not falling within any of paragraphs 1 to 8 for which a prescription is given in consequence of a testing of sight by an NHS Trust.

I

£150.50

10. Contact lenses for which a prescription is given in consequence of a testing of sight by an NHS Trust.

J

£42.80 per lens

 

 

ANNEX A - continued

Supplements

Complex Lens Voucher

Old Value

New Value

Single Vision

£10.00

£10.20

Bifocal

£25.40

£25.90

Tints/photochromic - per lens

Old Value

New Value

Single Vision

£3.00

£3.10

Bifocal

£3.50

£3.60

Prism - per lens

Old Value

New Value

Single Vision

£6.00

£6.10

Bifocal

£6.90

£7.00

Small Glasses

Old Value

New Value

Supplement

£47.30

£48.20

Special Facial Characteristics (Hospital Eye Service)

Old Value

New Value

Supplement

£47.30

£48.20

 

 

ANNEX B

VOUCHER VALUES FOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT FROM 1 APRIL 2000

NATURE OF REPAIR:

LETTER CODES

Repair / Replacement

 

 

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H & I

 

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

One

Lens

9.10

16.70

24.80

63.00

19.80

26.50

33.20

69.80

Two

Lenses

18.40

33.60

49.70

125.90

39.60

53.10

66.40

139.50

Front of frame

9.40

9.40

9.40

9.40

9.40

9.40

9.40

9.40

Side of Frame

5.60

5.60

5.60

5.60

5.60

5.60

5.60

5.60

Whole frame

11.00

11.00

11.00

11.00

11.00

11.00

11.00

11.00

 

Note:

1. Where the small frame supplement or special facial characteristics supplement applies, the amount payable for repair of:

2. Where more than one repair is made to an optical appliance, the total paid must not exceed the aggregate of the amounts for replacing two lenses in the above schedule, and repairs to the part of the frame must not exceed £11.00.

Replacement - Contact Lenses

3. If only one of a pair of contact lenses is replaced the voucher value is £42.80. These provisions for contact lenses only apply to clinically necessary contact lenses prescribed by the Hospital Eye Service or NHS Trust.

Directions under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, Schedule 11, paragraph 2(1) and regulation 2(1) of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998

The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 11 to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and regulation 2(1) of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998 and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby give to Health Boards the following Directions:

 1. These Directions shall come into force on 1 April 2000 and shall have effect in respect of glasses or contact lenses supplied where the testing of sight leading to the supply of the glasses or lenses, or the first such testing, takes place on or after 1 April 2000.

2. In these Directions -

"the Act" means the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978;

"charge for glasses" and "charge for contact lenses" means a charge authorised by section 70(1) of the Act in respect of the supply of glasses or, as the case may be, contact lenses under the Act.

3. Subject to paragraphs 4 and 5 below, the charge for glasses shall be the aggregate of the following:

(a) an amount which represents the cost to the Health Board or NHS trust or other person on its behalf, of the purchase of the glasses or their components; and

(b) an amount which represents the cost to the Health Board or NHS trust or other person on its behalf, of the dispensing of the lenses.

4. Where the aggregate of: -

(a) the element of the amount mentioned in paragraph 3(a) above which represents the cost of the lenses; and

(b) the amount mentioned in paragraph 3(b) above,

 

exceeds, in the case of glasses each lens of which is a single vision lens, £52.50 and, in any other case, £85.40, the charge for glasses shall be the aggregate of that £52.50 or, as the case may be, £85.40 and, except in a case to which paragraph 5 below applies, the element of the amount mentioned in paragraph 3(a) above which represents the cost of the frames.

5. Where any patient requires, on clinical grounds, a frame the cost of which is more than that of the cheapest frame in the range supplied by the Health Board or other person on its behalf, the element of the amount mentioned in paragraph 3(a) above which represents the cost of the frames shall not exceed the cost of the cheapest frame.

6. The charge authorised by section 70(1) of the Act in respect of the supply of contact lenses under the Act shall be £42.80 for each contact lens so supplied.

7. Except in so far as it applies to glasses and contact lenses supplied where the testing of sight leading to the supply of the glasses or contact lenses, or the first such testing, has taken place prior to 1 April 2000, the Direction made under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 11 to the Act and regulation 2(1) of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998, which came into operation on 1 April 1999 is revoked.

 

A member of the staff of the Scottish Executive

Grade 5
The Scottish Executive Health Department
St Andrew’s House

25 May 2000

 

Directions under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, Schedule 7A, paragraph 6(2)

 

The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by paragraph 6(2)(e) of Schedule 7A to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby direct the NHS trusts to comply with the Directions given by them under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 11 to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and regulation 2(1) of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1998, dated 25 May 2000.

 A member of the staff of the Scottish Executive

 

Grade 5
The Scottish Executive Health Department
St Andrew’s House

25 May 2000