Sight Tests: Charges (Hansard, 26 February 1997)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)
My Lords, more people than ever before are having their sight tested. There is no evidence that people over the age of 60 suffer poorer eye health if they are not eligible for a free NHS sight test.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is she aware that some organisations cannot totally agree that older people are not suffering? Indeed, it has been shown that people over the age of 60 are at risk from developing eye disease. This can be prevented by testing. However, if they feel they have to pay to have their eyes tested, they do not bother to go. This is a serious situation and I beg the noble Baroness to have it examined.

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, there are a lot of exemptions to the eye test charges. Forty per cent. of the population are exempt. Those who are suffering a disease—diabetes or glaucoma—or have a member of the family who suffers from glaucoma, are automatically exempt. We believe that the diseases are being picked up. As I have said, more people than ever are having their eyes tested.

§ Baroness Jay of Paddington
My Lords, can the Minister confirm that, although there are free eye tests 1180 for those suffering from diabetes, more than half of those who are registered blind with diabetes do not take advantage of the free eye tests? Is it not perhaps a priority for the Department of Health to make sure that those who are most vulnerable to disease take up those free tests?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, I am not sure where that statistic arises from. We do not believe that people suffering diabetes are in any way adversely affected by these arrangements. We know that diabetes is a high risk and therefore immediately it is diagnosed we have made certain special provision for sight testing.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, is it not a fact that some diseases can be recognised as a result of an eye test? That has very often happened. Is it not penny wise and pound foolish not to give people free eye tests but then to spend the money through the National Health Service on complaints that might have been recognised earlier?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, if we removed all charges for eye tests it would cost the National Health Service £140 million. If we removed the charge for those over 60 years of age, it would cost £32 million. Translating that figure of £32 million, it is the equivalent of 4,000 cataract operations, which we know is an extremely effective way of preserving sight.

§ Lord Mason of Barnsley
My Lords, can the noble Baroness say what is the make-up of the 40 per cent. who are exempt?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, that 40 per cent. comprises children, students—that is those under 19 in full-time education—the registered blind or partially sighted; people who are diagnosed as having diabetes or glaucoma; those over the age of 40 with a close relative who suffers from glaucoma; recipients of income support; people on income-based jobseeker's allowance; recipients of family credit or disability working allowance; holders of a charges certificate for full help under the NHS low-income scheme and people who have been prescribed complex lenses.

§ Lord Monkswell
My Lords, the Minister said that it would cost £140 million to provide everyone with a free eye test. Can she tell the House what is the cost to the National Health Service of treating people with glaucoma, which has not been detected because they have not had an eye test? Can she also say what is the cost to society of the blindness which results from the lack of early treatment of glaucoma?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, it is impossible to find those figures. The eye test costs about £16 and, as I have said, there are exemptions for those who cannot afford it. From the point of view of the National Health Service, I believe that the country as a whole would prefer to see cataracts corrected and other treatments offered to people rather than have to supply that money to those who can well afford £16 for an eye test.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the Royal National Institute for the Blind—which 1181 is an organisation that I am sure she will acknowledge comprises very serious people who do wonderful work—states that over half a million people over 60 years of age are not having their eyes tested? Does she agree that that should be looked at as a very serious situation? The RNIB is very greatly concerned. I hope that the House will also share that concern, which is also expressed by our Royal British Legion and ex-servicemen—

Noble Lords
Oh!

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, what is wrong with the Royal British Legion? I am very proud to belong to it—

Noble Lords
Hear, hear!

§ Lord Molloy
—and I always will be. Having got that off my chest, perhaps I may now ask the noble Baroness whether she will be good enough to look at this awful problem of people who might be going blind because of the service that they have given to this great nation? Can that now be considered?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, of course I always consider anything that the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, puts to me, within reason. I believe that the concern of the RNIB has more to do with the frequency of tests than with those who are not coming forward for them. The RNIB believes that there are people who are eligible for free tests who are not coming forward as often as they should. We all recognise the affection that the noble Lord has for the Royal British Legion. Some of those people can claim the money that they spend on eye tests.