The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025

Made: 7 February 2025

Laid before Senedd Cymru: 11 February 2025

Coming into force: 4 March 2025

The Welsh Ministers make these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 129 and 203(9) and (10) of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006[^f00001].

Title, coming into force and interpretation

1

• (1) The title of these Regulations is the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 4 March 2025 but they shall have effect from 21 October 2024.

• (3) In these Regulations, “the Optical Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997[^f00002].

Amendments to the Optical Regulations

2

• (1) Schedules 1 to 3 to the Optical Regulations are amended as follows.

• (2) For Schedule 1 (voucher number codes and face values – supply and replacement) substitute the Schedule set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

• (3) In Schedule 2 (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

• (a) in paragraph 1(1)(a), for “£12.00” substitute “£12.20”;

• (b) in paragraph 1(1)(b), for “£14.00” substitute “£14.24”;

• (c) in paragraph 1(1)(c), for “£2.00” substitute “£2.03”;

• (d) in paragraph 1(1)(d), for “£2.50” substitute “£2.54”;

• (e) in paragraph 1(1)(e), for “£64.20” substitute “£65.29”;

• (f) in paragraph 1(1)(g)(i), for “£64.20” substitute “£65.29”;

• (g) in paragraph 1(1)(g)(ii), for “£57.00” substitute “£57.97”;

• (h) in paragraph 1(1)(g)(iii), for “£30.80” substitute “£31.32”;

• (i) in paragraph 1(1A), for “£15.00” substitute “£15.26”;

• (j) in paragraph 2(a), for “£14.60” substitute “£14.85”;

• (k) in paragraph 2(b), for “£37.40” substitute “£38.04”.

• (4) For Schedule 3 (voucher values – repair) substitute the Schedule set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Transitional and saving provisions

3

• (1) The amendments made by regulation 2 apply only in relation to a voucher issued pursuant to regulation 9, 10 or 11 or completed pursuant to regulation 16 of the Optical Regulations on or after 21 October 2024.

• (2) Where a voucher—

• (a) has been issued pursuant to regulation 9, 10 or 11 or completed pursuant to regulation 16 of the Optical Regulations on or after 20 October 2023, but

• (b) has not been used or accepted pursuant to regulation 12 or 17 of the Optical Regulations prior to 21 October 2024,

that voucher has the face value provided for in the Optical Regulations as they existed immediately before 21 October 2024 and the voucher’s redemption value is to be calculated accordingly.

SCHEDULE 1 — Schedule 1 to the Optical Regulations as substituted by these Regulations

SCHEDULE 2 — Schedule 3 to the Optical Regulations as substituted by these Regulations

Signed

Jeremy Miles — Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, one of the Welsh Ministers — 7 February 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/818) (“the Optical Regulations”) which provide for payments to be made by means of a voucher system in respect of costs incurred by certain categories of persons in connection with sight tests and the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 2 and the Schedules to these Regulations amend Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Optical Regulations to change the value of vouchers issued in respect of the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 3 makes transitional provision in relation to vouchers issued or completed but not used or accepted before 21 October 2024.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2006 c. 42. There are amendments to section 203 which are not relevant to these Regulations.

[^f00002]: S.I. 1997/818 as amended by S.I. 2016/305 (W. 101), S.I. 2016/1059 (W. 250) and S.I 2023/1047 (W. 178). There are other amending instruments which are not relevant to these Regulations.