§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the administration costs of collecting charges for(a)eye check-ups, (b)dental check-ups and (c)prescriptions. [174478]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThere are no charges for sight tests provided under the national health service. Sight tests are free to children, older people, people on low income and those susceptible to eye disease who can benefit most from regular sight tests.
More than 85 per cent., of the total income from prescription charges is collected by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors as part of the dispensing of medicines. Charges for dental examinations are collected by dentists. There is no separately identifiable element of the remuneration of any of these professions attributable to the charge collection function.
The administration costs of the sale of prescription pre-payment certificates, which account for the remainder of the income from prescription charges, are around £1.5 million per year.