Parliamentary Questions

Week of 13 February 2006

These are the questions on optics that have been raised in the English, Scottish and Welsh parliaments in the week of 13 February 2006.

ENGLAND

Wright, T - Visual Impairments (Low Vision Services by PCTs)
Thu, 16 Feb 06 |House of Commons - Written Answer
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a comprehensive low vision service will be available to visually-impaired people in all primary care trust areas. [43172]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Low vision aids are already available free on loan to any person requiring them. The Hospital Eye Service assesses the needs of the individual and provides any necessary low vision aids.

Social services departments have responsibility for assessing the needs of individuals who request help due to problems with their vision. This is usually in the form of modifications to a person's home such as improved lighting and hi-marks for cookers. Any help offered will be following a comprehensive assessment of the individual's needs.

The Government-funded integrating community equipment services (ICES) project was designed to improve equipment services for people by integrating the previously separate national health service and social services equipment services. The ICES team completed their work on integration in March 2005 and it is now the responsibility of the local social care and health service providers to determine how best to provide services to meet the needs of the individuals in their populations, in the light of local priorities.   16 Feb 2006 : Column 2324W 

Low vision was one of the areas identified by the eye care services steering group as an area for further development. A care pathway for low vision services has been published and a number of pilots are currently testing the pathway. The model pathways are designed to improve integration of eye care services across primary and secondary care and social services.

Learning from the pilots and their developing evidence-base will be shared with the NHS to support wider implementation. A conference is planned for June 2006 to showcase the pilots.

Pelling - Optometrists / NHS patient choice.
Thu, 16 Feb 06 |House of Commons - Written Answer

Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy for NHS patients to have the right to see the optometrist of their choice under the NHS. [48691]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is already the case that eligible patients may apply to any contractor on a primary care trust ophthalmic list to have a national health service funded sight test.

Parliamentary Copyright Material Reproduced Under Licence From The Controller Of Her Majesty's Stationery Office

Dunne - Child eye examinations
Thu, 16 Feb 06 |House of Commons - Written Answer

Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that parents understand the importance of eye examinations for children. [46658]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 31 January 2006]: Personal child health records are provided to parents after the birth of their child. The record provides families with a means of recording visits, immunisation, concerns raised and action taken. The record covers the range of health and development milestones and although it cannot go into the detail of conditions the record does prompt inquiries about vision and promotes further discussion and specific eye checks where indicated.
Free sight tests are available under the national health service for children under 16 and those aged 16 to 18 in full time education. Sight tests allow the opportunity to review all aspects of eye health, including investigations for signs of disease.
Information about the extensive arrangements for providing help with NHS optical services and other health costs are publicised in leaflet HC11 "Are you entitled to help with health costs?".

SCOTLAND

Leckie - Review of private health care provider contracts
Mon, 20 Feb 06 |Scottish Parliament - Written Answer

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Executive has to review all contracts with private health care providers, in light of reports of infections following cataract surgery carried out by the Advanced Centre for Eye Care under contract to NHS Glasgow in The Herald on 31 January 2006.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has no such plans. Explicit guidance has been issued to NHS boards underlining their responsibilities to ensure services provided to NHS patients by the independent health care sector meet the quality standards that apply in the NHS in Scotland. It is for NHS boards to satisfy themselves, in contracting with an independent sector provider, that appropriate governance and monitoring arrangements are in place.
Scottish Parliamentary Copyright Material Reproduced Under Licence From The Controller Of Her Majesty's Stationery Office

Leckie - Contracts with private providers for clinical care
Mon, 20 Feb 06 |Scottish Parliament - Written Answer

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the details of contracts with private providers for clinical care such as cataract operations and, specifically, whether the contracts enable the Executive to recover any costs associated with the NHS having to provide care to patients who have developed complications arising from treatment under such contracts.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information as contracts with independent sector providers are held by individual NHS boards.
Scottish Parliamentary Copyright Material Reproduced Under Licence From The Controller Of Her Majesty's Stationery Office

WALES

Neagle - In patient and out patient waiting times
Thu, 16 Feb 06 |Welsh Assembly - Written Answer

Lynne Neagle: Will the Minister provide details of in-patient and out-patient waiting times for treatment for glaucoma and cataracts, by NHS trust, for the last three years? (WAQ45717)

Brian Gibbons: There is no information collected centrally on waiting lists for treatment for glaucoma and on out-patient waiting lists for cataracts. Information on the number of patients on a waiting list for an ophthalmology out-patient appointment or an in-patient or day-case admission are available on StatsWales (www.statswales.wales.gov.uk).

Information on the number of patients waiting over four months and six months for in-patient and day-case waiting times for cataract surgery are also on StatsWales. Figures are provided for each month from June 2003 to December 2005.