Clause 34 - Provision of primary ophthalmic services
Health Bill
11:30 am
Caroline Flint (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Health), Department of Health; Don Valley, Labour)
What I am saying is that there are limitations at present on those individuals within the profession who can contract with a PCT. At the moment, where a lay person or a dispensing optician has a business, the named person who has the contract with the PCT has to be the employee who is brought in to provide the clinical services. That seems ridiculous, considering that we are talking about businesses with which one may want to discuss providing a range of enhanced services outside of or in addition to the sight test procedures. Later, we will discuss the local committees, on which we want clinical professionals and contractors to be represented.
There is an anomaly at the moment, which the clauses try to address, but at the same time the Minister of State, Department of Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central and I have to ensure that the necessary arrangements are clear and that clinical expertise is provided for by whoever is given a contract by the PCT.