HC Deb 04 February 1993 vol 218 cc325-6W
Mr. Spellar

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had sight tests in Sandwell in each financial year since 1987.

Dr. Mawhinney

The numbers of National Health Service sight tests paid for in each financial year by the Sandwell family health services authority are shown in the table.

Year Number of sight tests
1987–88 90,020
1988–89 92,230
11989–90 44,830
1990–91 34,860
1991–92 40,570

Note: The Department does not collect information on the number of private sight tests carried out.

1From April 1989, NHS sight tests were restricted to certain groups in the population. The sight tests paid for in 1989–90 include some conducted prior to 1 April 1989, when sight tests were universally

Number of authorised pay beds in NHS hospitals
Regions 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91
Northern 56 56 78 103 103 105 95 101 96 99 97 97
Yorkshire 140 140 154 182 199 199 193 193 187 192 188 188
Trent 130 130 150 143 143 143 138 136 128 136 136 136
East Anglian 90 90 94 106 106 108 108 108 96 108 108 108
North West Thames 339 339 352 292 292 292 287 285 271 285 283 283
North East Thames 278 278 286 398 404 410 413 411 347 393 411 411
South East Thames 263 263 302 332 337 337 339 341 322 333 333 333
South West Thames 156 156 168 180 182 194 182 180 141 180 180 180
Wessex 99 99 106 117 120 120 116 116 105 115 116 116
Oxford 164 164 180 180 180 180 183 193 188 193 194 194
South Western 78 78 82 102 104 104 104 102 96 100 100 100
West Midlands 181 181 217 258 267 276 273 270 209 281 276 276
Mersey 67 67 92 112 123 123 123 129 123 129 129 129
North Western 170 170 214 231 244 245 243 237 207 233 233 227

available. The remainder paid for in 1989–90 do not represent a full year under the new system, because of the delay in payments. The figure for 1989–90 is not, therefore, directly comparable with that for 1990–91.