§ Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider amending the National Health Service voucher scheme for spectacles to include part payment for contact lenses.
§ Mr. NewtonContact lenses are available through the hospital eye service when prescribed for clinical reasons at a charge of £25 per lens and patients in eligible groups are entitled to a voucher up to a maximum of £25 for each contact lens prescribed.
Contact lenses have never been available under the general ophthalmic service and professional opinion was divided about the merit in permitting GOS vouchers to be used towards them. One consideration was that contact lens wearers would normally have to have a pair of spectacles as a standby and the GOS voucher can be put towards these. We will however be consulting the profession again about these arrangements during the course of the year.