Written question asked by Edward Timpson (Conservative) on Monday, 6 December 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 December 2010. It was answered by Simon Burns (Conservative) on Thursday, 9 December 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Eyesight: Testing

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in Crewe and Nantwich constituency eligible for a free eye test.

Answer: The Secretary of State for Health has not made an estimate of the number of people in Crewe and Nantwich constituency eligible for a free eye test.However, free sight tests are available under the national health service to many people, including people aged 60 and over, children under 16, those aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, people on benefits, those people at particular risk of developing eye disease, and people who are registered blind or partially sighted or who have a complex spectacle prescription.The number of NHS sight tests, by patient eligibility, in England in 2009-10 is available in Table B1 of Annex B of the 'General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales, Year Ending 31 March 2010' report. Information is provided by primary care trust and by strategic health authority but is not available by parliamentary constituency.This report, published on 13 July 2010, has been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:"www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/gosactivity0910"It should be noted that figures relate to actual numbers of sight tests and not individuals.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 29664; 520 c387-8W
Session: 2010-12
Related items: Deposited Paper DEP2010-2242
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Deposited papers
House of Commons
Subjects: Eyesight Testing
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk