§ Mr. Butterfillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost saving to the National Health Service if the full assessed charge is payable by patients who require lenses over six dioptres cylindrical power, or over 10 dioptres spherical and over four dioptres cylindrical power, or lenticular.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1985, c. 63]: The cost saving to the NHS if the full assessed charge were to be paid by all patients who require such lenses has been estimated as £1.75 million. However, a large proportion of these patients would qualify for full or partial remission of charges on income grounds so the actual savings are likely to be very much less.
§ Mr. Butterfillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many spectacles, on an annual basis, are prescribed in the categories: with one or more lens over six dioptres cylindrical power, over 10 dioptres spherical and over four dioptres cylindrical power, or lenticular,
(2) what percentage of the total number of annual prescriptions is represented by the categories defined as complex in amended regulations proposed by the Government;
(3) how many cases involving complex lenses, as defined in the Government's planned amendments to the general ophthalmic service, are dealt with (a) by the hospital eye service and (b) the general ophthalmic service, on an annual basis.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1985, c. 63]: The total number of prescriptions issued for complex lenses is not available and the number dealt with by hospital eye services is not available centrally.
The latest available figures — 1983 — indicate that some 50,000 pairs of spectacles containing complex lenses as defined in the proposed regulations were dispensed annually in Great Britain under the general ophthalmic services. The estimated number dispensed within the proposed prescription categories is as follows:
over 6 dioptres cylindrical power 4,000 over 10 dioptres spherical and over 4 dioptres cylindrical power 5,000 in lenticular form 41,000 50,000 pairs of spectacles represent 1 per cent. of the total number of annual prescriptions dispensed under the general ophthalmic services.