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Publication, Part of

General Ophthalmic Services, Activity statistics, England and Wales - Year ending 31 March 2008

Publication Date:
Date Range:
01 Apr 1998 to 31 Mar 2008

Summary

The objective of the General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) is to provide, through community opticians' practices, preventative and corrective eye care for children, people aged 60 and over, people on low incomes, and those suffering from or pre-disposed to eye disease.

This report presents summary information about GOS activity in England and Wales for 2007/08 and on trends since 1998/99. The statistics are derived from data entered onto the Ophthalmic Payments System, an NHS Connecting for Health product, accessed via Open Exeter, by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England and Local Health Boards (LHBs) in Wales. The Ophthalmic Payments System records General Ophthalmic Service claims, automates the payment process, produces required statistical returns and provides fraud prevention and detection tools.

Comparisons over time have been made with both 2006/07 and 2002/03 to allow the activity comparisons to be as consistent as possible with those made in General Ophthalmic Services: Workforce Statistics for England and Wales at 31 December 2007.

Highlights

In the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 there were:

England

  • 11.048 million NHS sight tests, an increase of 563 thousand (5.4 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 1.386 million (14.3 per cent).
  • 3.951 million optical vouchers reimbursed by PCTs, an increase of 186 thousand (5.0 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 479 thousand (13.8 per cent).
  • 462 thousand vouchers for repair or replacement reimbursed by PCTs, an increase of 36 thousand (8.3 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 74 thousand (19.0 per cent).
  • 329 thousand domiciliary sight tests performed on patients either in their homes or in residential homes, an increase of 20 thousand (6.3 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 75 thousand (29.3 per cent).

Wales

  • 0.701 million NHS sight tests, an increase of 25 thousand (3.7 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 54 thousand (8.4 per cent).
  • 0.256 million optical vouchers reimbursed by LHBs, an increase of 2,800 (1.1 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 3,300 (1.3 per cent).
  • 28 thousand vouchers for repair or replacement reimbursed by LHBs, an increase of 145 (0.5 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was a decrease of 1,400 (4.7 per cent). 18 thousand domiciliary sight tests performed on patients either in their homes or in residential homes, a decrease of 540 (2.9 per cent) on the previous year. Between 2002/03 and 2007/08, there was an increase of 2,200 (13.4 per cent).

Resources

Last edited: 11 April 2018 4:14 pm