§ Mr. Tom ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the most recent impact of prescription charges on the take-up of opticians' services(a) nationally and (b) by national health service region.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe independent survey of sight tests, carried out by NOP and commissioned by the Government, considered demand on both a national and standard region basis. The information was not, however, analysed by national health service region. The survey found that sight test uptake during the first three months of 1990 was well in line with projected trends over the 10 years up to 1987. It implied that there was no evidence to suggest that people were being deterred from visiting their optician because they now had to pay a modest private charge. Copies of the full NOP report along with an analysis of the findings by the Government statistical service have been placed in the Library.