The National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) Regulations 1999

Made: 9th March 1999

Laid before Parliament: 10th March 1999

Coming into force: 1st April 1999

The Secretary of State for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 38, 39, 40 and 126(4) of the National Health Service Act 1977[^f00001], 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 (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 1st April 1999.

• (2) In these Regulations, “the 1986 Regulations” means the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986[^f00002].

Amendment of regulation 3 of the 1986 Regulations

2

In regulation 3 of the 1986 Regulations (qualifications of ophthalmic medical practitioners)–

• (a) in paragraph (b)(iii), for “the Diploma in Ophthalmology awarded conjointly by the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of England,” substitute “the Membership of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, ”; and

• (b) omit paragraph (c) and the word “or” preceding it.

Amendment of regulation 13 of the 1986 Regulations

3

In regulation 13 of the 1986 Regulations (sight tests eligibility)[^f00003]–

• (a) after paragraph (1)(b) insert–

(bb) a person who is aged 60 years or more;

• (b) at the end of paragraph (1)(f) insert “, or has been advised by an ophthalmologist that he is predisposed to the development of glaucoma;”; and

• (c) after paragraph (2) insert–

(2A) In paragraph (1)(f) “ophthalmologist” means a doctor whose name is included in the register of specialists kept by the General Medical Council under article 8 of the European Specialist Medical Qualifications Order 1995[^f00004] and in respect of whom that register indicates his speciality to be ophthalmology.

Signed

Frank Dobson — One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State, — Department of Health — 9th March 1999

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 which provide for the arrangements under which ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians provide general ophthalmic services under the National Health Service.

In these Regulations, regulation 3 is updated to take account of changes in the qualifications required by ophthalmic medical practitioners. Regulation 13, which sets out who is eligible for free sight tests, has a new category added for persons aged 60 or more. It also extends the category relating to glaucoma to include those who are advised by ophthalmologists (as defined in the new paragraph (2A)) that they are predisposed to developing glaucoma.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1977 c. 49; see section 128(1) as amended by the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (c. 19) (“the 1990 Act ”), section 26(2)(g) and (i), for the definitions of “prescribed” and “regulations”. Section 38 was amended by the Health Services Act 1980 (c. 53) (“the 1980 Act”), section 1 and Schedule 1, paragraph 51; by the Health and Social Security Act 1984 (c. 48) (“the 1984 Act”), section 1(3); by S.I. 1985/39, article 7(11); by the Health and Medicines Act 1988 (c. 49) (“the 1988 Act”), Schedule 1, paragraph 27. Section 39 was extended by the 1988 Act, section 17; and amended by the 1980 Act, section 1 and Schedule 1, paragraph 52; by the 1984 Act, section 1(4), Schedule 1, Part I, paragraph 1 and Schedule 8, Part I; by S.I. 1985/39, article 7(12); and by the 1995 Act, Schedule 1, paragraph 28. Section 126(4) was amended by the 1990 Act, section 65(2).

[^f00002]: S.I. 1986/975; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1989/395, 1995/558 and 1996/2320.

[^f00003]: Regulation 13 was substituted by S.I. 1989/395 and amended by S.I. 1995/558 and 1996/2320.

[^f00004]: S.I. 1995/3208, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations.

Editorial notes

[^key-714d053d1b0ae04faa3ac47d1ceb04b5]: Reg. 1 in force at 1.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-a6d29bc98a47aaee65b7f29dda9e08c9]: Reg. 2 in force at 1.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)

[^key-334bd4f02f56f6b8c8d14aaf63800885]: Reg. 3 in force at 1.4.1999, see reg. 1(1)