Over 119,000 sight tests carried out in latest quarter
Date published:
New official statistics published 5 February 2026 by NISRA statisticians in the Business Services Organisation (BSO) present General Ophthalmic Services activity in Northern Ireland for Quarter 3 of the 2025/26 financial year.
This news story was originally published on 10 February. It was updated on 19 February to correct errors identified in the news story text. The original statistical publication was accurate and did not contain these errors. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Key findings
- A total of 184,173 claims were processed in Q3 2025/26, representing a 0.3% increase compared to the same quarter last year.
- 119,241 sight tests were carried out, up 2.1% on the same quarter last year.
- 41,525 optical vouchers were issued, a 4.2% decrease on Q3 2024/25.
- 8,753 repairs and replacements were processed, down 8.3% compared to Q3 2024/25.
- The number of registered optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners rose to 709, an increase of 1.7% on the previous year.
- 265 ophthalmic practices were operating across Northern Ireland, down 0.7% on Q3 2024/25.
About this publication
This report contains high level summary information on activity and payments in relation to General Ophthalmic Services in Northern Ireland for quarter 3 of 2025/26.
Information is provided at Northern Ireland level with further breakdowns presented at both Local Commissioning Group (LCG) and Local Government District (LGD) level.
This quarterly series is a subset of the annual information with data provided for selected key tables. The quarterly updates within a year should be treated as provisional and may be revised when figures are finalised to produce the end of year annual report.
Supplementary data tables that provide additional breakdowns are available alongside the bulletin.
Further information
Read the full report: Ophthalmic Services for Northern Ireland, Quarterly Series to Q3 2025/26 - Provisional
View the data tables and background information: General Ophthalmic Services Statistics