Written question asked by Lord Lansley (Conservative) on Thursday, 10 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 April 2005. It was answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Labour) on Monday, 4 April 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.
Dept of Health
- Question
- To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of (a) providing free sight tests for all, (b) meeting the cost of all prescription charges and (c) meeting the cost of all charges for dental care; and what estimate has been made of the additional cost to the NHS of meeting the charges only for those currently ineligible in each case.
- Answer
-
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of (a) providing free sight tests for all, (b) meeting the cost of all prescription charges and (c) meeting the cost of all charges for dental care; and what estimate has been made of the additional cost to the NHS of meeting the charges only for those currently ineligible in each case. [221808] Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of extending eligibility for free national health service sight tests to all those who currently pay privately for sight tests is estimated at about £90 million a year in England, based on the 2004-05 fee rate of £17.82 per test payable to optometrists, and assuming no change in the take up rate for sight tests. Income from prescription charges is expected to amount to £452 million in England in 2005-06. If all prescriptions were provided free of charge that income would be lost. There would also be an unquantifiable, additional cost to the drugs bill. The cost of providing free NHS dental care to all those patients who currently pay dental charges is estimated at about £500 million a year in England, based on the levels of NHS dental care provided in 2003-04.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 432 c1244-5W; 221808
- Session
- 2004-05
- Subjects
- Dental services Costs Fees and charges Exemptions Eyesight NHS Prescriptions Testing
- Contains statistics
- Yes
- Link
- View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2013-11-25 12:30:30 +0000
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