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Health Bill

moved Amendment No. 33A:"Page 35, line 35, at end insert—" ““(6)   Before making regulations under sections 28WA to 28WE, the Secretary of State shall consult such persons or organisations as appear to him to be representative of persons providing ophthalmic services.”” The noble Earl said: My Lords, in Grand Committee we had a series of short but very useful debates on the ophthalmic clauses in the Bill, following on from the equally useful debates conducted in another place. It is extremely helpful and reassuring to have had explicit statements from the Government about the importance of eye health, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and older people. It is important to have on the record the Minister’s commitment that the NHS sight test fee will remain centrally funded and negotiated, that it will not be constrained by local budgets and that patients will continue to have access to the provider of their choice. All this matters very much. There were worries that some contractors might be excluded from the GOS through no fault of their own. Those worries have been successfully dispelled by the Minister’s assurance that contractors that meet national criteria will continue to be entitled to a GOS contract. All this is very positive. The simple point I want to raise through the amendment is that the GOS review presents a major opportunity to improve eye care and eye health for the whole population. I very much hope that the Government will use this opportunity to listen to and work with the profession. Wisely, the Government have listened to the profession about why the current eyecare system has been a national success, and, as a result, the GOS system is to continue. To build on that success and to improve services even further, it is vital for the Government and the profession to work side-by-side to examine the issues constructively and in detail. The GOS review must be thorough and open. I hope that the Minister can reassure me that openness and thoroughness will indeed characterise the forthcoming review. I beg to move.