HC Deb 31 January 1983 vol 36 c23W
Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the price rises in the agreement with the ophthalmic prescription industry that are to take effect from February 1983, in £ sterling and as a percentage of previous prices; and if he will list the previous prices.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

After consultation with representatives of the ophthalmic profession, I have decided to introduce revised rates of reimbursement from 1 February 1983 for lenses supplied by opticians under the National Health Service. The revision affects 258 separate reimbursement prices, ranging from £1.35 to £25.00, contained in the General Ophthalmic Services Statement. There are decreases in reimbursement rates in the 12 lower priced lenses ranging from 1.9 per cent. to 5.6 per cent. (glass) and 17.9 per cent. to 21.9 per cent. (plastic). There are increases in respect of 243 prices ranging from 1.7 per cent. to 69.4 per cent. The prices for 3 lenses remain unchanged. Overall these adjustments represent a weighted average increase of 6.2 per cent.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the relevant pages of the statement showing the revised rates from 1 February 1983 and the pages which they replace. A copy of the statement is in the House of Commons library.

Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether any restrictions have been placed on the proposed increases in prices for work done for the National Health Service by the ophthalmic prescription industry.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Prices charged by the ophthalmic prescription industry to opticians for lenses and frames have generally, after consultations, formed the basis of reimbursement rates paid to opticians for NHS work. We recently decided to revise the reimbursement rates from 1 February 1983 after discussion with the ophthalmic prescription industry and statutory consultation with the ophthalmic profession.

The department is preparing to conduct a direct enquiry into the prices paid by opticians for lenses and frames supplied for the NHS in order to establish an up-to-date factual base for reimbursement rates.