Psychiatric Hospitals (Closures) (Hansard, 15 November 1988)

§ Mrs. Currie

The Government's long-standing policy is that people with mental illness should have access to all the services they need as locally as possible. We would expect the appointment of community psychiatric nurses, in the

General ophthalmic services (England—figures in millions)
	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
Number of sight tests¹	6.9	7.2	7.4	7.7	7.4	7.9	8.3	8.3
Cost of sight tests¹	£10.9	£12.2	£20.1	£25.1	£25.9	£29.3	£34.8	£37.7
Pairs of glasses supplied	4.5	5.1	5.5	4.8	4.5	4.6	4.7	4.8
Number of vouchers	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—
Cost of NHS glasses	£18.2	£23.3	£33.7	£37.0	£40.0	£44.8	£53.8	£64.9
Voucher costs	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Pairs of glasses supplied free to children	0.13	0.11	0.13	0.14	0.29	0.33	0.36	0.37
Number of persons for whom charges were remitted or refunded	n.a.	n.a.	0.61	0.71	0.75	0.74	0.72	0.74
Value of charge, remissions or refunds	n.a.	n.a.	£3.0	£5.3	£6.8	£7.1	£7.2	£7.5

General ophthalmic services (England—figures in millions)
	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89 estimates
Number of sight tests¹	8.5	8.7	9.3	9.9	10.2	10.6	11.7	12.2
Cost of sight tests	£50.3	²£68.2	£73.0	£81.1	£85.2	£84.8	£103.8	£108.6
Pairs of glasses supplied	4.9	4.8	5.0	4.9	³2.7	0.8	—	—
Number of vouchers⁴ ⁵	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	⁶—	1.5	2.5	2.5
Cost of NHS glasses	£73.7	£132.1	£86.2	£88.4	£49.6	£18.1	—	—
Voucher costs⁴	—	—	—	—	—	£25.9	£46.3	£50.7
Pairs of glasses supplied free to children	0.40	0.40	0.39	0.4	n.a.	—	—	—
Number of persons for whom charges were remitted or refunded	0.83	1.02	1.18	1.33	n.a.	—	—	—
Value of charge, remissions or refunds	£9.3	£15.0	£19.6	£22.1	n.a.	—	—	—

Notes:

¹ All sight tests were free to patients.

² These figures are distorted by payment of arrears of fees.

³ Front 1 April 1985 NHS spectacles were available only to children and adults who were exempt from charges.

⁴ Vouchers replaced NHS spectacles for children and exempt adults from 1 July 1986.

⁵ Approximately 30 per cent. of vouchers are for children under 16 and full time students under 19.

⁶—Not applicable.

n.a. Not available.