Men outnumbered by women OOs in England

The number of female optometrists (OO) registered to undertake NHS sight tests in England surpassed the number of male OOs during 2009.

The GOS workforce statistics for England and Wales revealed that the number of female OOs rose to 4,890 in 2009, 286 more than 2008, comprising 50.5 per cent of OOs. Total OO numbers along with those of ophthalmic medical practitioners (OMPs) registered to undertake NHS sight tests in England rose collectively by 5.1 per cent in 2009. However, the number of combined ophthalmic practitioners in Wales fell by 3.1 per cent to 711 against 2008.

The annual report from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care, compiled from data provided by Primary Care Trusts in England and Local Health Boards in Wales, showed that in 2009, combined ophthalmic practitioner numbers increased by 483 to 10,023 in England. As a result of the rise there are now 19.5 practitioners per 100,000 population in England, an increase from 2008's figure of 18.5. Practitioner numbers have increased nearly every year over the last 10 years. In 1999, the 7,517 ophthalmic practitioners meant there were only 15.3 practitioners for every 100,000 of the population.