NHS: 2005 PCA(O)1 abcdefghijklm. 1. This letter advises NHS Boards and Practitioner Services of increases in the:

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1 NHS: 2005 PCA(O)1 abcdefghijklm = eé~äíü=aéé~êíãéåí= = aáêéåíçê~íé=çñ=péêîáåé=mçäáåó=~åç=mä~ååáåö= = mêáã~êó=`~êé=aáîáëáçå= = pí=^åçêéïdë=eçìëé= = oéöéåí=oç~ç= = bafk_rode= = ben=pad= Dear Colleague GENERAL OPHTHALMIC SERVICES 1. Increase in Optical Voucher Values 2. Increase in the NHS Sight Test Fee for Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners from 1 April Increase in the NHS Domiciliary Visiting Fee for Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners from 1 April Changes in the NHS Sight Test and Domiciliary Visiting Fees for HC3 Holders 5. Revised Statement 6. Tax Credits: Increase in the annual income limit Summary 1. This letter advises NHS Boards and Practitioner Services of increases in the: 1.1 NHS optical voucher values and allowances for repairs and replacements; and 1.2 NHS sight test and domiciliary visiting fees payable to optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners; 18 March 2005 Addresses For action Chief Executive, NHS Boards Director, Practitioner Services For information Chief Executive, Practitioner Services Enquiries to: Lynne Morrison Primary Care Division 1 st Floor East Rear St Andrew's House EDINBURGH EH1 3DG Tel: Fax: Éã~áäW= ióååék^kjçêêáëçå]ëåçíä~åçköëáköçîkìâ= ÜííéWLLïïïKëÅçíä~åÇKÖçîKìâ with effect from 1 April It also advises of an increase in the income level for tax credits, which takes effect from 6 April Background Increase in Optical Voucher Values 2. The new voucher values are shown in Annex A and B to the Memorandum to this letter. Practitioner Services will pay the revised values for vouchers presented to suppliers by patients on or after 1 April abcde abc a 1. LM

2 Increased NHS Sight Test Fee 3. NHS Boards and Practitioner Services are asked to note that following consultation with representatives of the professions, Scottish Ministers have determined that the NHS sight test fee which should be paid to: 3.1 optometrists for NHS sight tests carried out on or after 1 April 2005 is 18.39; 3.2 ophthalmic medical practitioners for NHS sight tests carried out on or after 1 April 2005 is The fee element and expenses component of this fee will be notified in due course. Increased NHS Domiciliary Visiting Fee 4. NHS Boards and Practitioner Services are asked to note that the NHS domiciliary visiting fees for optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners, which is payable in addition to the relevant NHS sight test fee, for NHS domiciliary sight tests carried out on or after 1 April 2005 are for the first and second patient seen at one visit and 8.11 for the third and subsequent patients seen at the same visit. Changes in the NHS Sight Test and Domiciliary Visiting Fees for HC3 Holders 5. NHS Boards and Practitioner Services are asked to note that from 1 May 2005 entitlement for patients who hold partial exemption certificate HC3 will be calculated using the following amounts: Tax Credits 5.1 a private domiciliary sight test up to the maximum of the GOS domiciliary sight test fee of 50.77; and 5.2 a private sight test carried out at an optician s premises up to a maximum of Currently those families whose income as calculated for tax credit purposes does not exceed 14,600 and who are in receipt of Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit with a disability element or severe disability element or Child Tax Credit alone because they are not eligible for Working Tax Credit are entitled to a NHS sight test and voucher towards the cost of glasses/contact lenses. With effect from 6 April 2005 the income limit as calculated for tax credit purposes will increase from 14,600 to 15,050. The Statement 7. A revised Statement in accordance with regulation 10 of the NHS (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1986 will be issued in due course. abcde abc a 2 LM

3 Action 8. NHS Boards are asked to: urgently distribute to all optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on their lists copies of the Memorandum to this letter, which are being sent under separate cover; send a copy of the Statement to all optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on their list; send a copy of the NHS (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005, which bring the changes at paragraph 2, 5 and 6 above into effect, to all optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on their lists. If an optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner has more than one address within a NHS Board area he/she should only be sent one copy of the Regulations. Copies of the amending regulations will be sent to NHS Boards once available; and make available for inspection by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners the NHS (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005, which brings the change at paragraph 6 above into effect. Copies will be sent to NHS Board once available; 9. Practitioner Services are asked to pay the: 9.1 revised values for vouchers presented to suppliers by patients on or after 1 April 2005; and 9.2 pay the increased fees for NHS sight tests and domiciliary visits undertaken on or after 1 April Yours sincerely DR HAMISH WILSON abcde abc a 3 LM

4 MEMORANDUM TO NHS: 2005 PCA(O)1 NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE GENERAL OPHTHALMIC SERVICES 1. Increase in Optical Voucher Values 2. Increase in the NHS Sight Test Fee for Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners from 1 April Increase in the NHS Domiciliary Visiting Fee for Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners from 1 April Changes in the NHS Sight Test and Domiciliary Visiting Fee for HC3 Holders 5. Revised Statement 6. Tax Credits: increase in the annual income limit 1. This Memorandum advises of increases in the: 1.1 NHS optical voucher values and allowances for repairs and replacements; and 1.2 NHS sight test and domiciliary visiting fees payable to optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners; from 1 April It also advises of an increase in the income level for tax credits, which takes effect from 6 April Increases in Optical Voucher Values 2. An increase of 2.5% has been made in voucher values and supplements. The new voucher values are set out in Annex A and B to this Memorandum. The new values apply to vouchers presented to suppliers by patients on or after 1 April Increased NHS Sight Test Fee 3. Following consultation with representatives of the professions, Scottish Ministers have determined that the NHS sight test fee which should be paid to: 3.1 optometrists for NHS sight tests carried out on or after 1 April 2005 is 18.39; 3.2 ophthalmic medical practitioners for NHS sight tests carried out on or after 1 April 2005 is The fee element and expenses component of this fee will be notified in due course; Increased NHS Domiciliary Visiting Fee 4. The fees payable to optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners, in addition to the relevant NHS sight test fee, for NHS domiciliary visits carried out on or after 1 April 2005 are for the first and second patient seen at one visit and 8.11 for the third and subsequent patient seen at the same visit. abcde abc a 1 LM

5 Changes in the NHS Sight Test and Domiciliary Visiting Fees for HC3 Holders 5. From 1 April 2005 entitlement for patients who hold partial exemption certificate HC3 will be calculated using the following amounts: 5.1 a private domiciliary sight test up to the maximum of the GOS domiciliary sight test fee of 50.77; and 5.2 a private sight test carried out at an optician s premises up to a maximum of The Statement 6. A revised Statement in accordance with regulation 10 of the NHS (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1986 will be issued in due course. Tax Credits 7. Currently those families whose income as calculated for tax credit purposes does not exceed 14,200 and who are in receipt of Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit with a disability element or severe disability element or Child Tax Credit alone because they are not eligible for Working Tax Credit are entitled to a NHS sight test and voucher towards the cost of glasses/contact lenses. With effect from 6 April 2005 the income limit as calculated for tax credit purposes will increase from 14,600 to 15, A copy of the NHS (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005, which bring the changes at paragraphs 2, 5 and 7, as it relates to optical voucher values, into effect, will be sent to you for information and retention as soon as they are available. Copies of the NHS (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005, which brings the change at paragraph 7, as it relates to fee NHS sight tests, into effect, will be available at NHS Board premises for inspection in due course. Enquiries 9. Any enquiries arising from this Memorandum should be taken up with your NHS Board. Scottish Executive Health Department 18 March 2005 abcde abc a 2 LM

6 ANNEX A VOUCHER LETTER CODES AND FACE VALUES SUPPLY AND REPLACEMENT Column 1 Type of optical appliance 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. 2. Glasses with single vision lenses - Column 2 Letter code A B Column 3 Face value of voucher (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. 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. 4. Glasses with single vision lenses - C D (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. 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. 6. Glasses with bifocal lenses - E F (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. abcde abc a 1 LM

7 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. 8. Glasses with prism-controlled bifocal lenses of any power or with bifocal lenses - G H (a) of a spherical power of more than 14 dioptres with any cylindrical power; (b) with a cylindrical power of more than 6 dioptres with any spherical power. 9. 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 Board. I Contact lenses for which a prescription is given in consequence of a testing of sight by an NHS Board. J per lens Supplements Complex lens: Single vision Bifocal Tints/photochromic per lens: Single vision Bifocal Prism per lens: Single vision Bifocal Old value New value Small glasses: Special facial characteristics (HES or NHS Board): abcde abc a 2 LM

8 ANNEX B VOUCHER VALUES - REPAIR Column 1 Column 2 Nature of Repair to Letter Codes Values Appliance A B C D E F G H I Repair or replacement of one lens Repair or replacement of two lenses Repair or replacement of: The front of a frame a side of a frame the whole of the frame Note 1. Where the small glasses supplement applies, the amount payable for repair of: the front of the frame is the side of the frame is the whole of the frame is Where more than one repair is made to an optical appliance, the total paid must not exceed the aggregate of the amount for replacing two lenses in the above schedule, and repairs to the part of the frame must not exceed. abcde abc a 1 LM