Sight test results differ between multiples and independents

Sight test outcomes for NHS patients differ between multiples and independents while patient choice of practice is dependent on socio-economic status, according to new research.

A study published in the Spanish General Council of Optometry’s Journal of Optometry aimed to find out if outcomes are affected by practice type, if socio-economic deprivation is associated with practice type and at what age a patient has their first sight test.

Data from 664,480 NHS sight tests performed in Essex from April 2015 to September 2016 was analysed by Alexander Swystun and Christopher Davey from the University of Bradford’s school of optometry and vision science.