§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many eye tests were carried out in the London borough of Waltham Forest in each year since 1987.
§ Dr. MawhinneyFigures are not available in respect of London boroughs. The numbers of NHS sight tests paid for in each financial year by the Redbridge and Waltham Forest family health services authority are shown in the table. The Department does not collect information on the volume of private sight tests carried out.
Year Number of sight tests 1987–88 111,070 1988–89 118,100 1989–90 154,960 1990–91 43,070 1 It is estimated that there were 23,530 tests carried out before 1 April 1989—when NHS sight tests were restricted to certain groups in the population—for which payment was not made until the 1989–90 financial year. The remaining 31,430 paid for in 1989–90 do not represent a full year under the new system, because of the delay in payments.