§ Baroness Ramsay of Cartvaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to increase National Health Service charges and the value of optical vouchers. [HL3023]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathWe shall lay before the House regulations to increase National Health Service charges in England from 1 April 2002. There will be a264WA cash increase in the charge of 10p (1.64 per cent) from £6.10 to £6.20 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed.
The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will rise to £32.40 for a four month certificate and £89.00 for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those needing more than five items in four months or 14 in one year. Prescription charges are expected to raise some £434 million for the NHS in 2002–03.
Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and most fabric supports supplied through the hospital service will be increased similarly. The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 2002 will increase from £360 to £366.
We have restricted the prescription charge increase to the same cash amount as the previous three years and the other increases are in line with this percentage increase.
Optical voucher values will increase overall by 1.95 per cent to help children, people on low income and certain people with complex sight problems with the cost of spectacles or contact lenses. NHS charges and optical voucher values in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.
Details of the revised charges and optical voucher values have been placed in the Library.