Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians reports drop in private eye exams

The number of private eye examinations has fallen by 5.2 per cent in the year to March 31 2006, according to the latest Optics at a Glance by FODO.

While private eye exams fell to 5.5m, the first reduction in a number of years, the number of NHS eye exams continues to grow at 12m, a 5 per cent increase since 2003/2004, marking the ageing population and the availability of free sight tests to over 60s. There were significant increases in the number of people entitled to an NHS test because they were glaucoma sufferers or diabetics and to a lesser extent, close relatives of glaucoma sufferers, as well as those registered blind or partially sighted.