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Digital

Publication, Part of

General Ophthalmic Services, Workforce statistics, England and Wales - 31 December 2007

Publication Date:
Date Range:
01 Jan 1997 to 31 Dec 2007

Summary

This publication shows the number of Ophthalmic Practitioners (Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners) who are authorised by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England and Local Health Boards (LHBs) in Wales to carry out NHS funded sight tests as at 31 December 2007.

In order to carry out an NHS sight test under GOS regulations as at 31 December 2007, an ophthalmic practitioner must be registered on one of two types of lists. The ophthalmic list is a register of practitioners that hold a contract with a PCT/LHB to undertake NHS sight tests. The supplementary list is a register of practitioners that work under a contract as an assistant, but do not hold the contract with the PCT/LHB.

Comparisons over time have been made with data at 31 December 2006 and 31 December 2002 in the commentary of the report, although some tables contain a series extending back to 1997.

Highlights

As at 31 December 2007:

England

  • there were 9,632 practitioners in England, an increase of 686 (7.7 per cent) on the previous year, and an increase of 1,536 (19.0 per cent) since 2002
  • 95.9 per cent of practitioners were Optometrists. The remainder were Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners. This is an increase of 0.2 percentage points from 95.7 per cent in 2006, and an increase of 3.8 percentage points from 92.2 per cent in 2002
  • there were 6,747 practitioners (70.0 per cent) on a PCT supplementary list with the remainder (2,885 practitioners) on an ophthalmic list. In the previous year, 6,231 (69.7 per cent) were on a PCT supplementary list with the remainder (2,715 practitioners) on an ophthalmic list
  • 45.9 per cent of the total number of practitioners were female, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 44.6 per cent in 2006, and an increase of 3.6 percentage points from 42.3 per cent in 2002
  • there were 18.9 practitioners per 100,000 population, an increase of 1.2 practitioners from 17.6 per 100,000 population in 2006, and an increase of 2.5 practitioners from 16.3 per 100,000 population in 2002.

Wales

  • there were 708 practitioners in Wales, an increase of 35 (5.2 per cent) on the previous year, and an increase of 109 (18.2 per cent) since 2002
  • 96.2 per cent of practitioners were Optometrists. The remainder were OMPs. This is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the 96.3 per cent in 2006, and an increase of 2.9 percentage points from 93.3 per cent in 2002
  • there were 476 practitioners (67.2 per cent) on a LHB supplementary list with the remainder (232 practitioners) on an ophthalmic list
  • 43.9 per cent of the total number of practitioners were female, a decrease of 0.9 percentage points from 44.9 per cent in 2006, but an overall increase of 2.0 percentage points from 41.9 per cent in 2002
  • there were 23.8 practitioners per 100,000 population, an increase of 1.1 practitioners from 22.7 per 100,000 population in 2006, and an increase of 3.2 practitioners from 20.5 per 100,000 population in 2002.

Resources

Last edited: 11 April 2018 4:15 pm