Optician news in brief

For the 11th year in a row, Specsavers has been named the most trusted brand of opticians in the UK in the 2012 Reader's Digest Most Trusted Brands survey. The multiple received 37 per cent of the vote more than that of Boots, Vision Express, Optical Express, Tesco, Asda and Leightons combined. Doug Perkins, chairman of Specsavers Optical group, said: 'Being trusted as a brand is what Specsavers values above all else. We feel that, even in times of austerity, it's trust that keeps customers coming back to the partnership.'

The number of NHS sight tests undertaken in England increased by 3.1 per cent in 2011/12, new figures from General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) have revealed. Overall, 12.3 million patients had NHS eye tests in 2011/12 - an increase of 367,000. The GOS Activity Statistics also revealed that 4.5 million NHS optical vouchers had been issued over the past year and that 429,000 NHS vouchers were issued for repair and replacement.