NHS tests peak in Scotland

Numbers of NHS eye tests in Scotland have grown steadily in the past year with supplementary eye examinations also on the rise.

Latest figures by Scotland's Information Services Division showed that the total number of NHS tests reached 1.9 million in the year ending March 2012, compared to 1.8 million in the prior year. The total number of NHS eye examinations increased by 6 per cent from 1.8 million in the year ending March 2011 to 1.9 million in the year ending March 2012.

Primary eye examinations increased by 6.5 per cent to around 1.6 million during the period, while the number of patients receiving a supplementary eye examination increased by 3.8 per cent to 311,836. The rate of eye examinations across all NHS Boards in Scotland was fairly consistent.