§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to privatise the supply of spectacles by National Health Service hospitals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HayhoeAt present hospital eye service (HES) patients may choose to buy the spectacles they need on the private market, or to have National Health Service glasses and pay the statutory charges. Interested bodies are being consulted about proposed arrangements for these patients when the current range of NHS frames and lenses ceases to be available on 1 July. It is proposed that, in general, these patients will be able to obtain their spectacles either at the hospital at the full economic cost or on the private market. Vouchers to provide them with basic spectacles to meet their clinical needs will be available to those who at present benefit from arrangements for exemption or remission of NHS charges. Patients requiring particularly280W expensive complex lenses will continue to be able to receive them through the HES for payment of a NHS charge.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to remove the current entitlement to free National Health Service spectacles for children and low income groups; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HayhoeWhen the voucher scheme is introduced on 1 July all children and others at present entitled to free supply of National Health Service spectacles will instead receive a voucher.
The range of vouchers will be set at levels intended to allow basic spectacles suitable to a patient's clinical need to be purchased from the much wider choice available on the private market.