NHS: 2002 PCA(O)2 abcdefghijklm

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1 NHS: abcdefghijklm Health Department St Andrew's House Regent Road Directorate of Service Policy & Planning EDINBURGH EH1 3DG Dear Colleague 1. INCREASE IN OPTICAL VOUCHER VALUES 2. PATIENTS RECEIVING TAX CREDITS 3. APPLICATION FOR INCLUSION IN THE OPHTHALMIC LIST - FORM GOS(S)(6) 4. FREQUENCY OF SIGHT TESTING - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 5. LEAFLETS Summary 1. This letter advises Primary Care Trusts, Island NHS Boards and Practitioner Services of increases in the NHS optical voucher values and allowances for repairs and replacements with effect from 1 April It also advises of an increase in the limit at which patients receiving tax credits may receive an NHS sight test and optical voucher, the introduction of a revised form GOS(S)6 and that agreement has been reached in Scotland on minimum sight test intervals. Action 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 supplies by patients on or after 1 April Patients Receiving Tax Credits 3. The limit at which patients (and/or their partners) receiving Disabled Person's Tax Credit and Working Families' Tax Credit may receive a free NHS sight test and optical voucher is being increased. For awards starting on or after 9 April 2002 people whose maximum tax credit is reduced by or less will be entitled to a free NHS sight test and optical voucher where the sight test takes place or the voucher is presented to a supplier or on after 9 April March 2002 Addresses For action Chief Executives, Primary Care Trusts and Island NHS Boards Director, Practitioner Services For information Chief Executives, NHS Boards Chief Executive, Common Services Agency Enquiries to: Lynne Morrison Directorate of Service Policy & Planning Primary Care Division 1 East Rear St Andrew's House EDINBURGH EH1 3DG Tel: Fax: Lynne.A.Morrison@scotland.gsi.gov.uk GOS(S)6 4. Form GOS(S)6, application for inclusion in the ophthalmic list, has been revised to include the GMC number. Revised versions of the GOS(S)6 have been produced and are being sent under separate abcde abc a 1 LM

2 cover to Primary Care Trusts/Island NHS Boards who are asked to ensure that ophthalmic medical practitioner's provide their GMC number when applying to join an ophthalmic list. The GOS(S)6A has not yet been revised and Primary Care Trusts/Island NHS Boards are asked in the meantime to include the GMC number where the GOC Number is requested. Further supplies of form GOS(S)6 can be obtained from Banner Business Supplies in the normal way. Frequency of Sight Testing - Memorandum of Understanding 5. Agreement has been reached with representatives of the Association of Optometrists, Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians and the Scottish Committee of Optometrists on frequency of sight testing in Scotland. The new frequencies will require an amendment to Practitioner Service's payment system and cannot therefore be introduced immediately. A Memorandum of Understanding on Frequency of Sight Testing will be issued when the changes to Practitioner Services' systems have been made. In the meantime ophthalmic contractors have been advised to continuing entering a reason code, in line with Practitioner Services' protocol on early NHS eye examinations, for any early re-tests. Leaflets 6. Leaflet HC12 "Charges and optical voucher values" is being updated to include revised figures from 1 April 2002 and should be ordered from Banner Business Supplies. Any remaining stocks of the previous version which you hold should be destroyed when you receive stocks of the April 2002 version. This leaflet is also available on the Department of Health website at 7. Copies of the NHS (Optical Charges and Payments) and (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2002, which bring the revised voucher values and tax credit changes into effect, will be sent to Primary Care Trusts/Island NHS Boards as soon as they are available. Primary Care Trusts/Island NHS Boards are asked to send a copy to all optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on their lists. If an optometrists or ophthalmic medical practitioner practices from more than one address within a Primary Care Trust/Island NHS Board area he/she should only be sent one copy of the Regulations. 8. Copies of the Memorandum to this letter are being sent under separate cover for urgent distribution to all optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners on Primary Care Trusts/Health Board lists. 8. This letter is available on the SHOW website at Yours sincerely DR HAMISH WILSON Primary Care Division abcde abc a 2 LM

3 MEMORANDUM TO NHS: NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE GENERAL OPHTHALMIC SERVICES 1. INCREASE IN OPTICAL VOUCHER VALUES 2. PATIENTS RECEIVING TAX CREDITS 3. FREQUENCY OF SIGHT TESTING - MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 4. LEAFLETS 1. This Memorandum announces increases in the NHS optical voucher values and allowances for repairs and replacements from 1 April It also advises of an increase in the limit at which patients receiving tax credits may receive an NHS sight test and optical voucher and that agreement has been reached in Scotland on minimum sight test intervals. Increases in Optical Voucher Values 2. An increase of 1.7% has been made in voucher values and most supplements; larger increases have been applied to the supplements for prisms. 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 A copy of the NHS (Optical Charges and Payments) and (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2002, which bring the revised vouchers into effect, will be sent to you for information and retention as soon as they are available. Patients Receiving Tax Credits 4. The limit at which patients (and/or their partners) receiving Disabled Person's Tax Credit and Working Families' Tax Credit may receive a free NHS sight test and optical voucher is being increased. For awards starting on or after 9 April 2002 people whose maximum tax credit is reduced by or less will be entitled to a free NHS sight test and optical voucher where the sight test takes place or the voucher is presented to a supplier or on after 9 April From October 2002, the Inland Revenue started sending out tax credit exemption certificates. This means that from 9 April 2002 anyone entitled to a free NHS sight test and optical voucher based on receipt of a tax credit should have a tax credit exemption certificate to be used as evidence of entitlement. Frequency of Sight Testing - Memorandum of Understanding 6. Agreement has been reached with representatives of the Association of Optometrists, Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians and the Scottish Committee of Optometrists on frequency of sight testing in Scotland. The new frequencies will require an amendment to Practitioner Services' payment system and cannot therefore be introduced immediately. A Memorandum of Understanding on Frequency of Sight Testing will be issued when the changes to Practitioner Service's systems have been made. In the meantime abcde abc a 1 LM

4 ophthalmic contractors should continuing entering a reason code, in line with Practitioner Services' protocol on early NHS eye examinations, for any early re-tests. Leaflets 7. Leaflet HC12 "Charges and optical voucher values" is being updated to include revised figures from 1 April 2002 and should be ordered from your Primary Care Trust/Island NHS Board. Any remaining stocks of the previous version which you hold should be destroyed when you receive stocks of the April 2002 version. This leaflet is also available at the Department of Health website at Enquiries 8. Any enquiries arising from this Memorandum should be taken up with your Primary Care Trust/Island NHS Board. Scottish Executive Health Department 11 March 2002 abcde abc a 2 LM

5 ANNEX A TO THE MEMORANDUM TO NHS: 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 3 LM

6 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 Trust. I Contact lenses for which a prescription is given in consequence of a testing of sight by an NHS Trust. 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 Trust): abcde abc a 4 LM

7 ANNEX B TO THE MEMORANDUM TO NHS: 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 5 LM