§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many relatives of glaucoma sufferers in each district health authority area of England received free eyesight tests in each quarter of 1988–89 and in each quarter of 1989–90.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyStatistics prior to 1 April 1989 were not broken down by patient group. Since then family practitioner committees have collected data on sight tests paid for under the general ophthalmic services on a six-monthly basis. District health authorities do not collect such information. The table gives estimated numbers by patient group and regional health authority for the period in question:
NHS sight tests paid for during April-September 1989 Relatives of glaucoma sufferers Relatives over 40 Regional health authority Northern 2,700 Yorkshire 3,950 Trent 9,260 East Anglia 3,900 North West Thames 3,500 North East Thames 5,190 South East Thames 4,150 South West Thames 4,800 Wessex 5,860 Oxford 3,250 South Western 4,950 West Midlands 5,650 Mersey 2,520 North Western 5,360 These figures are based on a 2 per cent. sample of NHS sight test application forms processed by family practitioner committees. They do not take into account sight tests paid for after 1 April 1989 but conducted before that period.