§ Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in Wisbech and West Norfolk district health authority had eye tests in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate he can make of how many would not have received free tests if his Department's new regulations had applied at the time.
§ Mr. NewtonI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the eye tests carried out under the general ophthalmic services. These are the responsibility of the family practitioner committee and it is not possible to provide information for particular district health authority areas. However, in the Norfolk FPC and Cambridge FPC, each of which includes part of the area covered by the Wisbech and West Norfolk DHA, the numbers of sight tests carried out during the year ended 31 December 1987 were 156,122 and 144,810 respectively. When implemented, the provision of the Health and Medicines Bill will still permit NHS sight tests to be provided for children under 16, full-time students under 19, those on low incomes, the registered blind and partially sighted and people with diabetes or glaucoma who are referred for a test by the doctor managing their condition. It is estimated that these groups currently account for a little over one third of sight tests.