Health Bill

The Government are committed to delivering, where appropriate, an increased volume and range of services outside hospital, and this commitment certainly applies to ophthalmic services. We are funding pilot projects that are testing model pathways for glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and low-vision services. These are due to be evaluated later this year. We are currently undertaking a review of general ophthalmic services which will inform future decisions on service delivery. The review could, in principle, support what is proposed by the amendment, although we would also want to consider the scope for other professions to contribute to primary eye care services. However, the review, which will also include the findings from the pilots, is due to report to my honourable friend, the Minister of State for Health Services, Rosie Winterton, by the end of the year, and I would not want to anticipate its findings. I assure the noble Earl that I am aware that a primary acute referral service is running in Wales. I am also aware that an evaluation of that service is being undertaken, and my understanding is that it is not yet complete. We will certainly be interested to see the outcomes of the evaluation so that informed judgments can be made about the scheme. We believe that there are already other provisions in the Bill which allow for the provision of primary acute referral services in primary ophthalmic services. We therefore believe that Amendment No. 90 is unnecessary, but we are sympathetic to the thinking behind it.