§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what directives he intends issuing to general practitioners to ensure effective plans are made to inform relatives of patients suffering from diabetes and glaucoma that eye tests will be free provided that general practitioners provide confirmatory certification.
§ Mr. FreemanFrom 1 April 1989 close relatives aged 40 and over of patients with glaucoma will be eligible for an NHS sight test. A leaflet describing the importance of regular eye checks for this group, their eligibility for an NHS sight test and the method of making a claim will be sent to general practitioners and health authorities for display in waiting rooms and out-patient departments. It is also intended to write to hospital doctors asking them to246W supply copies for patients with diagnosed glaucoma to pass to their relatives. Regular eye-testing for diabetic retinopathy is appropriate only for people already known to have diabetes and they are eligible for NHS sight tests.