§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service eyesight tests were conducted in each year since 1978.
§ Mr. MaloneThe number of national health service sight tests paid for by family health services authorities in England is shown in the table:
496W
Year Millions Sight tests 1978–79 7,894 1979–80 8,331 1980–81 8,332 1981–82 8,469 1982–83 8,678 1983–84 9,266 1984–85 9,882 1985–86 10,246 1986–87 10,615 1987–88 11,695 1988–89 12,493 1989–901 5,280 1990–911 4,154 1991–92 4,979 1992–93 5,528 1993–94 5,935 1 From 1 April 1989, NHS sight tests were restricted to certain groups in the population.
The figures for 1989–90 include sight tests paid for in 1989–90 but conducted in 1988–89 under the previous scheme. The remaining tests were conducted and paid for in 1989–90 which does not constitute a full 12 months of the new scheme. The figures for 1990–91 which do represent 12 months under the new scheme, are not, therefore, directly comparable with those for 1989–90.
Two surveys carried out jointly by the Department of Health and the optical profession estimated that 13.184 million sight tests were performed in Great Britain in the year to 31 March 1994; the estimate for the year to 31 March 1995 is 12,673 million.