§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage rise in (a) prescription charges, (b) dental charges and (c) ophthalmic charges since May 1979.
§ Mr. John PattenPatient charges are payable only by those who can afford to make a contribution to the cost of their treatment. Some 72 per cent. of prescription items are dispensed free of charge, 45 per cent. of chargeable courses of dental treatment are provided free of charge and 35 per cent. of optical transactions are free or partially remitted. For those patients who pay the percentage rises in charges since May 1979 are as follows:
(a) PRESCRIPTION CHARGES
May 1979 £ April 1984 £ Percentage increase Prescription charge 0.20 1.60 700 (b) DENTAL CHARGES (MAXIMUM)
445W
Treatment May 1979 £ April 1984 £ Percentage increase Routine treatment Crowns, inlays, pinlays and gold fillings 5 14.50 190
Treatment May 1979 £ April 1984 £ Percentage increase Using an alloy containing 45 per cent. or more fine gold 10 59 490 Others 10 30 200 Synthetic resin dentures 1 to 3 teeth 10 24 140 4 to 8 teeth 11 26 136 over 8 teeth 12 28 133 more than one denture 20 44 120 Metal dentures and bridges 1 to 3 teeth 15 47 213 4 to 8 teeth 16 49 206 over 8 teeth 17 51 200 more than one denture 30 92 206 Overall maximum for a course 30 110 266 (C) OPHTHALMIC CHARGES
Lenses
Because of the restructuring in 1982 of lens charges a direct comparison between the charges to patients in May 1979 and those operative from 1 April 1984 and set out in schedule 2 of the National Health Service (Dental and Optical Charges and Remission of Charges) Amendment Regulations 1984 (S.I. 1984 No. 299) is not possible. Details of the charges operative in May 1979 are as follows:
Description of lens Charge £ Single vision len (including single vision lenticular frosted and chavasse lenses) 2.90 Fused glass bifocal lens 5.50 Lens of any description 6.15 The maximum charge per lens was introduced on 1 April 1982 —S.I. 1982 No. 284.
Frames
446W
Description May 1979 £ April 1984 £ Percentage increase Plain gold-filled Pad bridge, cellulose acetate tipped hockey- end sides (two types) 4.28 10.95 155.8 Pad bridge, light curl sides (two types) 4.50 12.00 166.7 Half-eye, flat section eyewire, pad bridge curl sides 4.50 10.05 123.3 Half-eye, flat section eyewire, pad bridge cellulose acetate tipped hockey-end sides 4.50 9.00 100.0 Plastics (cellulose acetate) Pad bridge, with reinforced hockey-end sides 1.57 2.05 30.6 Pad bridge, with gold-filled super comfort curl sides, and reinforced cellulose acetate butts 2.59 3.28 26.6 Saddle, flush or inset bridge, with reinforced hockey-end sides 7.50 8.19 9.2 Saddle, flush or inset bridge, with gold-filled super-comfort curl sides and reinforced cellulose acetate butts 8.10 9.01 11.2
Description May 1979 £ April 1984 £ Percentage increase Half-eye, regular bridge, with reinforced hockey-end sides 6.50 7.10 9.2 Half-eye, pad bridge, with reinforced hockey-end sides 2.87 3.47 20.9