Sight tests by health board

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Standard shorthand is used in this table: [r] = revised, [t] = total.

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Data valuesData descriptionYearAreaMeasure
463,850 [t]Number of Tests1996-97WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
477,210 [t]Number of Tests1997-98WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
477,090 [t]Number of Tests1998-99WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
630,620 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
17,050 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesTotal domiciliary sight tests
244,840 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: persons aged 60 and over
154,880 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: children aged 15 or under
26,590 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: students aged 16 - 18
94,380 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: adults receiving Income Support
22,880 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: adults receiving Tax Credit
14,270 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: adults receiving Job Seekers Allowance
17,420 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: adults holding a low income certificate
680 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: registered blind/partially sighted
27,380 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: diabetics/glaucoma sufferers
2,110 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: persons requiring complex lenses
25,180 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesSight tests: close relatives aged 40 and over of glaucoma sufferers
630,620 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesTotal sight tests: eligible patients
2,200 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesPrivate sight tests partially NHS funded
0 [t]Number of Tests1999-00WalesPrivate domiciliary visit partially NHS funded
659,330 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
18,210 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesTotal domiciliary sight tests
242,430 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: persons aged 60 and over
166,350 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: children aged 15 or under
32,340 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: students aged 16 - 18
97,680 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: adults receiving Income Support
30,180 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: adults receiving Tax Credit
18,240 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: adults receiving Job Seekers Allowance
17,250 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: adults holding a low income certificate
390 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: registered blind/partially sighted
21,990 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: diabetics/glaucoma sufferers
2,700 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: persons requiring complex lenses
29,780 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesSight tests: close relatives aged 40 and over of glaucoma sufferers
659,330 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesTotal sight tests: eligible patients
1,660 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesPrivate sight tests partially NHS funded
0 [t]Number of Tests2000-01WalesPrivate domiciliary visit partially NHS funded
667,460 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
16,660 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesTotal domiciliary sight tests
255,250 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: persons aged 60 and over
167,340 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: children aged 15 or under
31,550 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: students aged 16 - 18
89,300 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: adults receiving Income Support
34,680 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: adults receiving Tax Credit
16,570 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: adults receiving Job Seekers Allowance
15,390 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: adults holding a low income certificate
300 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: registered blind/partially sighted
24,440 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: diabetics/glaucoma sufferers
2,810 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: persons requiring complex lenses
29,830 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesSight tests: close relatives aged 40 and over of glaucoma sufferers
667,460 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesTotal sight tests: eligible patients
1,830 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesPrivate sight tests partially NHS funded
10 [t]Number of Tests2001-02WalesPrivate domiciliary visit partially NHS funded
646,480 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
16,120 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesTotal domiciliary sight tests
273,660 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: persons aged 60 and over
158,660 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: children aged 15 or under
29,540 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: students aged 16 - 18
70,380 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: adults receiving Income Support
31,110 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: adults receiving Tax Credit
10,330 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: adults receiving Job Seekers Allowance
9,380 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: adults holding a low income certificate
680 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: registered blind/partially sighted
32,350 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: diabetics/glaucoma sufferers
2,180 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: persons requiring complex lenses
28,200 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesSight tests: close relatives aged 40 and over of glaucoma sufferers
646,480 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesTotal sight tests: eligible patients
1,300 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesPrivate sight tests partially NHS funded
0 [t]Number of Tests2002-03WalesPrivate domiciliary visit partially NHS funded
645,710 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
17,200 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesTotal domiciliary sight tests
279,230 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: persons aged 60 and over
141,680 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: children aged 15 or under
27,020 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: students aged 16 - 18
65,760 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: adults receiving Income Support
34,750 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: adults receiving Tax Credit
10,540 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: adults receiving Job Seekers Allowance
9,780 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: adults holding a low income certificate
700 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: registered blind/partially sighted
37,400 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: diabetics/glaucoma sufferers
6,310 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: persons requiring complex lenses
32,550 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesSight tests: close relatives aged 40 and over of glaucoma sufferers
645,710 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesTotal sight tests: eligible patients
930 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesPrivate sight tests partially NHS funded
0 [t]Number of Tests2003-04WalesPrivate domiciliary visit partially NHS funded
655,552 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
17,246 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesTotal domiciliary sight tests
295,752 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: persons aged 60 and over
136,825 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: children aged 15 or under
24,042 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: students aged 16 - 18
69,568 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: adults receiving Income Support
35,756 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: adults receiving Tax Credit
10,355 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: adults receiving Job Seekers Allowance
8,654 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: adults holding a low income certificate
1,403 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: registered blind/partially sighted
36,433 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: diabetics/glaucoma sufferers
4,188 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: persons requiring complex lenses
32,575 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesSight tests: close relatives aged 40 and over of glaucoma sufferers
655,552 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesTotal sight tests: eligible patients
520 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesPrivate sight tests partially NHS funded
71 [t]Number of Tests2004-05WalesPrivate domiciliary visit partially NHS funded
673,519 [t]Number of Tests2005-06WalesAll sight tests paid for by the NHS
Showing 1 to 100 of 2,611 rows
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Next update expected:September 2026

Updates

30th September 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Data source
GOS 1 Sight Test form
Time period covered
April 1996 to March 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

This dataset shows the number of sight tests paid for by the NHS in Wales. under the Wales General Ophthalmic Services (WGOS) 1 and GOS 5 services. The data is broken down by Local Health Board and financial year. Sight tests are further broken down by eligibility category, including age groups, clinical need, and entitlement to income-related benefits. Prior to 2023-24, equivalent services were provided through GOS 1 and GOS 6 claims.

Data collection or calculation

The NHS sight tests data is sourced from the GOS 1 Sight Test Form, which is submitted by practices to NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) for payment. This data is subject to some estimation. Due to the scale of the number of sight tests, the information from only 1 in 50 (2%) sight tests is recorded to a database. This means that the information from that sample is scaled up to estimate the number of sight tests by eligibility criteria. The domiciliary sight tests data is extracted from the K2 payments system, which is collected by NWSSP from the GOS 6 Mobile NHS funded Sight Test form submitted by practices for payment.
The data for private sight tests with partial help towards the full cost is extracted from the K2 payments system, which is collected by NWSSP from the GOS 5 Private Sight Test form submitted by practices for payment.

Statistical quality

The sight test data by patient eligibility and type of practitioner collected through WGOS 1 is based on a sample rather than the entire population, as only one in every fifty sight tests is recorded. This sampling and subsequent scaling introduces some uncertainty to the estimates, meaning the figures provided are not exact counts but rather approximations. Users should be aware of this estimation method when interpreting the data. Despite this sampling uncertainty, the time-series has been broadly stable. Eligibility definitions for NHS-funded sight tests have changed over time. For example, from 2023-24 separate categories relating to care leaver, care of local authority, risk of eye disease, uniocular, hearing impaired and retinitis pigmentosa were introduced. 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. See the weblinks section for official statements.

Related reports

Published by

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

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