§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the revenue from NHS charges for(a) prescriptions, (b) dental services, (c) dental examinations and (d) eye tests in (i) 1978–79 and (ii) 1995. [17823]
§ Mr. MaloneThe information available for the last full year is given in the table:
Revenue from national health service charges—£ million, cash terms Income from 1978–79 1994–95 Prescription charges 24.2 287.2 Dental charges (for general dental services) 55.4 1383.3 Dental examinations 20 260.0 NHS eye tests 30 30 1 Includes patient charge income from dental examinations.2 No patient charges for dental examinations were levied before 1 January 1989. The figure for 1994–95 is an estimate, as patients pay charges on the basis of their whole course of treatment and the amount paid in respect of individual procedures is not separately recorded. 3 There is no charge for the provision of NHS sight tests. Since April 1989 entitlement to NHS sight tests has been restricted to certain priority groups, including children and those on low income. People not entitled to an NHS test now pay for a private sight test.