To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has been taking to monitor the pattern of referrals by general practitioners to consult ophthalmologists since the introduction of eye test charges.
Patients are referred for out-patient consultation, usually in a consultant clinic. The majority of referrals are made by GPs, although the referrals may be made by others, including self-referral by the patient. The information collected centrally on referrals is given in the table.
| Consultant ophthalmology clinics National health service hospitals England | |||
| Year | Number of referrals seen | Did not attend | Total |
| 1987–88 | 588,973 | 76,286 | 665,259 |
| 1988–89 | 574,532 | 82,822 | 657,354 |
| 1989–90 | 579,693 | 83,948 | 663,641 |
| 1990–91 | 599,520 | 82,626 | 682,146 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the long-term effects of charges for eye tests.
Questions on sight tests have appeared in the general household survey in 1987 and in each year since 1990. In addition, figures on referrals to the hospital eye service are collected on a regular basis. These show that referrals rose by 3.6 per cent. in 1988–89, fell slightly by 1 per cent. in 1989–90 and rose again by 3.3 per cent. in 1990–91.