§ Mr. Galeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the non-tolerance procedure at present used by family practitioner committees under the general ophthalmic service; and how many consumers' problems were dealt with under these procedures in the year ended 31 March 1983;
(2) what arrangements will be made under the Health and Social Security Bill, for consumers' interests at present covered by the non-tolerance procedures at present used by the family practitioner committees.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWhere no error in prescribing or dispensing has occurred but a patient is genuinely unable to tolerate lenses supplied under the general ophthalmic service, the family practitioner committee may authorise the dispensing of new spectacles. The patient pays the statutory charges for the substitute spectacles but not for the pair first supplied, provided they are surrendered. We do not collect centrally information about the number of non-tolerance cases.
The Health and Social Security Bill does not affect the non-tolerance arrangements for patients supplied under the general ophthalmic service. Similarly, the position of private patients will be unchanged and non-tolerance will remain a matter to be settled between the patient and the supplier.