§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about his policy towards charges for eyesight tests for the monitoring of diabetic blindness.
§ Mr. Newton[holding answer 17 December 1987]: The proposal in the White Paper on primary health care is that free NHS sight tests should in future be confined to children, students under 19, those on low incomes, and the registered blind and partially sighted.
The Government's action last year to make disposable syringes and needles available free to insulin-dependent diabetics on general practitioner prescription, and the decision announced in the White Paper to make blood-glucose testing strips available in the same way as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made, are intended to assist in enhancing the role of GPs in the regular care of diabetics. GPs will be aware of the need to look for symptoms of eye disease in diabetics, and where such disease is suspected the patient would be referred to the hospital eye service for the necessary tests.
My hon. Friend may like to know that we are currently funding a research project at Exeter, Oxford and Sheffield into methods of screening for diabetic retinopathy; and are making available a further £100,000 for the continuation of this work in 1988–89. We shall carefully consider the results, which are due next year.