§ Mr. Arnold Shawasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the gross cost of providing optical and ophthalmic services outside the hospital service, and the amount recovered by charges, for each of the last three years.
§ Dr. OwenUnder the general ophthalmic services payments to ophthalmic medical practitioners and opticians by executive councils, and charges payable to opticians by patients under the
639WNational Health Service Acts 1951 and 1961, in England were as follows:
£ million Calendar year Payments plus charges Charges 1971 … … 25.21 11.73 1972 … … 24.99 13.18 1973 … … 28.50 14.69 These figures exclude:
- (a) charges payable to opticians by patients under the National Health Service Act 1946 for repairs and replacements and for optional items,
- (b) net payments to ophthalmic medical practitioners by local education authorities in respect of their work in school eye clinics,
- (c) payments to opticians by hospital authorities and charges payable to opticians by patients for the dispensing of hospital prescriptions, statistics of which are not centrally collected