Primary care optometry staff (headcount) by health board

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Next update expected:October 2027

Updates

8th October 2026

New data added for 31/3/2026

26th March 2026

Data description amended

30th September 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider 1
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Data source 1
Ophthalmic Supplementary List
Data provider 2
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Data source 2
Ophthalmic List
Data provider 3
NHS England
Data source 3
No specific source from data provider
Time period covered
December 1996 to March 2026
Dataset ID
c24a91e7-c7d4-4462-8c37-89d64c96d238

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

This dataset shows the number (headcount) of primary care optometry staff in Wales. It includes optometrists, student optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.

The data is broken down by health board, gender, and year. For years up to 2019, the data reflects headcounts as at 31 December, and from 2020 onwards, as at 31 March.

Data collection or calculation

Figures for the optometry workforce are reported as of 31 December each year for 2019 and earlier, and as of 31 March for 2020 and subsequent years, due to different data sources being used.

For years up to 2019, figures are sourced from NHS Digital’s publication, which reflects practitioners authorised by local health boards to perform NHS-funded sight tests, based on data from the Central Ophthalmic Payments system. This data collection ceased after 2019.

For 2020 and beyond, data is sourced from the performers’ list (Ophthalmic List and Ophthalmic Supplementary List), a register of ophthalmic practitioners who can practise in Wales, maintained by NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership.

Data from the two sources are collected differently and are not exactly comparable.

As the same person could be listed across more than one health board, the headcount is based on a unique count of registration numbers in each health board. Therefore, health board numbers may not necessarily add up to the figure for Wales.

Note for 2023 onwards, totals include unknown gender.

Statistical quality

Data from 2020 onwards are not directly comparable with earlier years due to changes in data source and reference period.

Primary care workforce figures are based on the ophthalmic performers list, which can temporarily include optometrists who have stopped working. This may lead to a slight overestimate of the active workforce. Following the introduction of WGOS, improved validation has led to more timely and systematic removal of inactive performers, which is likely to explain the decrease in 2024. There is also a requirement for student optometrists to be listed in the Supplementary Ophthalmic List (SOL), and therefore, data for student optometrists are available from 2024 onwards.

On 1 April 2019, health service responsibility for Bridgend residents moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. Health board names also changed: Cwm Taf became Cwm Taf Morgannwg, and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg became Swansea Bay.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales