Patient satisfaction with opticians: what could be better

Patient satisfaction with opticians is high in the UK, and it rose this year. In the General Optical Council's 2026 public perceptions survey of 2,014 adults, 89% of the 1,676 people who had a sight test in the last two years were satisfied with their overall experience, up from 87% in 2025. The report also shows what people rated lowest and who was least satisfied.

It is National Eye Health Week (21 to 27 September), a good week to hear from the people who already come in.

What the survey did

This wave was carried out online by DJS Research between 9 February and 2 March 2026, with 2,014 people aged 16 and over. The results are weighted to the UK population by age, gender and nation. The satisfaction questions went to the 1,676 people who had a sight test in the last two years, 83% of them at a high street practice and 15% in a hospital.

Patient satisfaction with opticians: what scored lowest

The examination scores well. 92% were satisfied with the optometrist who carried out their sight test, 91% that they were treated with care and compassion, 89% with how long they waited for the appointment, and 84% with how involved they were in decisions about their care.

Value for money scored lowest, at 76%, and at 70% among 16 to 24 year olds. Of the people who bought glasses or contact lenses, 20% agreed they had felt pressure to buy particular brands or types, down from 24% in 2025, and 73% said the price they expected matched the price they paid. Buying eyewear is harder to read: 72% were satisfied, but that is out of everyone with a recent test, and only 74% of them bought anything. Just 4% said they were dissatisfied.

Who is least satisfied

The report says the youngest adults, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with at least one vulnerability marker (a disability, a household income under £25,000, or struggling financially, among others) were less likely than average to be satisfied on almost every measure.

Age makes the biggest difference. The report uses different age bands for different questions: 16 to 24 for value for money, 16 to 34 for the rest. 82% of 16 to 34 year olds were satisfied that the optometrist gave them enough time to deal with their needs properly, against 91% of 35 to 64 year olds and 96% of people aged 65 and over, and overall satisfaction was 83% in the youngest group and 95% in the oldest. Part of that may be where they were seen: 30% of 16 to 34 year olds had their last test in a hospital, not a practice. For patients from ethnic minority backgrounds the widest gap was on the wait for an appointment, 80% satisfied against 92% of white patients, with 84% against 91% on the time they were given.

The complaints that are not made

Only 52 people in the survey were dissatisfied with their overall experience. Of those, 15% said they complained, 35% considered it and decided not to, and 46% did not consider it. The researchers flag this as a very small base, so the proportions are rough. It suggests a complaints file may miss much of what the least satisfied patients think.

After the referral

The GOC survey does not ask about referral. A separate, self-selecting survey by Healthwatch England does, of people waiting for, or recently treated in, NHS specialist eye care in England between July and September 2024. Of the 471 people still waiting, 70% had noticed their vision get worse during the wait, and 14% said they knew who to contact for further information. 85% said they would trust an optician to refer them directly without seeing a GP first. Denmark has tried a pathway where consultants review practice scans remotely.

Why it matters in practice

• Say what the sight test costs before the appointment. Those who knew beforehand rated value for money a little higher (78%, against 76% overall), which is an association, not proof, but it costs nothing.
• Look at who waits longest for an appointment. The widest gap for patients from ethnic minority backgrounds was on the wait itself.
• Watch the time given to younger patients, and check the explanation landed. They were among the less satisfied on both.
• Ask. In a small sample, most patients who were dissatisfied did not complain, so a question at collection may pick up what the complaints file misses.
• When you refer, tell the patient what happens next and who to contact. In the Healthwatch survey, 14% of those waiting knew who to contact.

The caveats

• Both are surveys of what people report, not measures of clinical care.
• The GOC survey was run online through a consumer panel, and its questionnaire was redesigned this year.
• The complaints figures rest on 52 people.
• The Healthwatch survey was self-selecting and covered England only, so it describes the people who chose to answer.
• The subgroup differences are the ones the report calls statistically significant; it does not rank every group on every measure.

Sources

1. 1.Public perceptions research 2026 (DJS Research for the General Optical Council) · General Optical Council, 30 June 2026
2. 2.A strain on sight: waiting for NHS specialist eye care · Healthwatch England, 20 March 2025
3. 3.National Eye Health Week · Vision Matters, 21 September 2026