HC Deb 28 January 2003 vol 398 cc805-6W
Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many free eye tests to pensioners there were in each year since 1997 in(a) Shropshire and (b) Shrewsbury and Atcham. [93020]

Mr. Lammy

The table shows the number of national health service sight tests paid for in Shropshire health authority (HA) for 1997–98 to 2001–02. Figures for the number of sight tests by constituency and age are not collected centrally, the nearest eligibility category for pensioners is those aged 60 and over.

Eligibility to NHS sight tests was extended to those aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999. There was an increase of 24,660 sight tests between 1998–99 and 1999–2000. It is fair to assume that the vast majority of this increase was due to newly eligible people aged 60 or over obtaining NHS sight tests.

General Ophthalmic Services: Number of sight tests paid for in
Shropshire HA for the years 1997–98 to 2001–02
Year Total number of sight tests Total number of sight tests for aged 60 and over
1997–98 61,460
1998–99 64,350
1999–2000 89,010 33,460
2000–01 91,160 38,230
2001–02 94,880 24,210