AQW 4886/10 Written question to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety how many people are currently registered as blind; and what percentage of these people are of pensionable age.
Asked by Naomi Long MLA on 17 February 2010
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 17 February 2010
- Answer due by
- 4 March 2010
- Answered
- 4 March 201015 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Information on the number of people registered as blind is not collected centrally, but is recorded by each Health & Social Care (HSC) Trust. The information provided by the five HSC Trusts is detailed in the table below.
Persons Registered as Blind in HSC Trusts at 19th February 2010 1
| Aged under 65 | Aged 65 and over | All persons | ||||
| HSC Trust | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Belfast | 299 | 26 | 871 | 74 | 1170 | 100 |
| Northern | 384 | 33 | 781 | 67 | 1165 | 100 |
| South Eastern | 192 | 34 | 372 | 66 | 564 | 100 |
| Southern | 252 | 37 | 436 | 63 | 688 | 100 |
| Western | 236 | 45 | 284 | 55 | 520 | 100 |
| Northern Ireland | 1363 | 33 | 2744 | 67 | 4107 | 100 |
1 The information recorded by HSC Trusts is not a register of those blind, as people may refuse to have their names added to relevant HSC Trust records.