Optical patient fraud is lowest in the NHS

Patient fraud was an estimated 0.7 per cent of NHS optical service claims in 2005/06 and cost £8.2m - but was far lower than pharmacy fraud (1.6 per cent or £47m at the last count in 2003/04) and dental fraud (3.9 per cent or £21.1m), according to the NHS Counter Fraud Service (CFS).

It said that it had not investigated the reasons for the low level of optical patient fraud but suggested that relatively cheap eye tests and repairs were less likely to attract fraud than generally higher pharmacy and dental charges: 'The higher the value of services that are available, the more fraud there is.'