Clause 39 - Payments in respect of optical appliances
Health Bill
5:30 pm
Stephen Williams (Shadow Minister, Health; Bristol West, Liberal Democrat)
The clause is to be welcomed. We have heard several references today to the need to address fraud in the system, although there have been disputes about the extent of that fraud. The clause is a welcome step towards making sure that PCTs have added powers to put checks in place to make sure that the voucher system is not abused in any way. We have heard from the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire, who has on display an array of spectacles from a variety of outlets. I am sure that they are all bona fide outlets, but I understand that the profession has concerns about unscrupulous providers who may abuse the system, particularly in relation to spectacles that may be bought over the internet.
The purpose of the amendment is to strengthen the clause slightly to make it clear that the only people who are allowed to dispense spectacles to children are optometrists, qualified ophthalmic dispensers and doctors. That builds in a further safeguard that would not only protect children's health, but make sure that the voucher system—it is frequently children who have vouchers for glasses—is not open to further abuse. That is the purpose of the amendment.