§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was(a) the cost to the NHS in treating eye diseases and (b) the total budget for ophthalmology in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. SackvilleDistrict health authorities are funded through their general allocations for purchasing ophthalmology services.
Expenditure by health authorities and national health service trusts on opthamology is shown in the table.
Year Expenditure £000 (cash) 1989–90 159,804 1990–91 177,976 1991–92 293,825 1992–93 308,715 1993–94 328,953 Note:
Figures after 1991–92 are not directly comparable with earlier years due to a change in accounting policy and practice with the introduction of the internal market.
Source:
Annual financial returns of district, regional and special health authorities—1989–90 to 1993–94—and NHS trusts—1991–92 to 1993–94.