The AOP’s parliamentary team produce briefings for parliamentarians on healthcare legislation. Members can also find out more about how they will be affected by both primary and secondary legislation in this section.
Health Act 2006
As a result of the successful lobbying campaign by the AOP and the other optical bodies the future of General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) has now been preserved. During debates on the Bill in Parliament, Health Ministers gave assurances that the budget for NHS sight tests would remain centrally negotiated and centrally funded. Ministers also stated that the GOS budget would not be constrained by local budgets and that practitioners would continue to be entitled to a General Ophthalmic Services contract subject to national criteria and that patients would be able to choose the contractor of their choice. These commitments are important to ensure all patients have access to high quality eye care services close to their home, receive that care promptly and with the provider of their choice.
Part 4 chapter 2 of the Act set out the provisions relating to ophthalmic services.
Click here to read the Act in full
Click here to read explanatory notes
Health and Social Care Act 2008
This Act establishes and makes provision in connection with a Care Quality Commission; to make provision about health care (including provision about the National Health Service) and about social care; to make provision about reviews and investigations under the Mental Health Act 1983; to establish and make provision in connection with an Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator and make other provision about the regulation of the health care professions; to confer power to modify the regulation of social care workers; to amend the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984; to provide for the payment of a grant to women in connection with pregnancy; to amend the functions of the Health Protection Agency; and for connected purposes.
Click here to read the Act in full
Health Act (Misc Provisions) Northern Ireland 2007
Click here to read Act in full
Click here to read explanatory notes
Health Act 2009
The Health Act builds upon the NHS Next Stage Review with an aim of improving quality and the delivery of NHS services. The Act establishes a framework for the NHS constitution which; requires NHS providers to publish quality accounts with an intension of improving local accountability; enables direct payments for healthcare to be made to patients with an aim of giving them greater control over their healthcare and enables payments as prizes to be made to promote innovation in the provision of health services in England. Further provisions in the Act control the promotion and sale of tobacco products, relating specifically to vending machines, as well as the investigation of complaints about privately arranged or funded adult social care. The Health Bill 2009 became law on 12 November 2009.
Click here to read the Act in full
Click here to read explanatory notes
The optical bodies have produced a joint briefing in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) and the British Dental Association (BDA) in regards to the Health Bill. This briefing for MPs contains the views of the optical, pharmaceutical and dental professions on the NHS Constitution and personal health budgets. To view the briefing, please download the pdf below.
