§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to provide that, in order to ensure early diagnosis of glaucoma, all eye tests carried out for the National Health Service either by eye specialists or opticians shall include two short tests of eye pressure and of the visual field in addition to the examination with an ophthalmoscope;
(2) if his programme of projects to advance preventive medicine includes the screening of blood relations of glaucoma sufferers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieFacilities for the detection and treatment of glaucoma are provided in hospital eye departments. I understand that ophthalmologists would normally advise glaucoma sufferers that their first degree relatives over the age of 40 should be screened.
It is not considered necessary to require opticians to include tests of eye pressure and visul field as part of the routine National Health Service sight test, although it is open to ophthalmic opticians to carry out whatever tests they judge to be appropriate in individual cases. Diagnosis of glaucoma would, however, be a matter for the responsible ophthalmologist.
§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to make it mandatory for anyone testing the eyes of a person over the age of 40 years to ask whether there is a history of glaucoma in blood relations.
360W
§ Mrs. CurrieThis is a matter for clinical judgment and not one where legislation would be appropriate.