Opticians in England: 6,374 practices on the NHS register
Every optical site listed by the NHS Organisation Data Service in England, grouped by local authority district. These are the practices that carry out NHS-funded sight tests and dispense against NHS optical vouchers. Each entry shows who operates it, how long it has been on the register, which integrated care board area it sits in, and what an eye test is likely to cost.
Optical sites listed
6,374
Open on the register at the snapshot
Local authority districts
296
Every district with at least one site
Separate contractors
3,057
Businesses holding the site records
Outside the big four
71%
4,500 sites run by independents and smaller groups
What a sight test costs at these practices
The register records addresses and contracts, not prices. These are the published rates we track for the chains that appear in it, alongside the usual range at independent practices. An NHS-funded test at any of these sites is free if you qualify.
Asda Opticians
£24
standard sight test
Specsavers
£25
standard sight test
Boots Opticians
£29.95
standard sight test
Vision Express
£30
standard sight test
Independent practice
Set by the practice
standard sight test
Free on the NHS if you are under 16, 16 to 18 in full-time education, over 60, diabetic, on Universal Credit and similar benefits, or at risk of glaucoma. Check the full eligibility list. If you also qualify for an optical voucher it is worth £42.40 to £233.56 towards glasses.
Chains on the register
| Operator | Listed sites | Districts covered | Standard test | Cost guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specsavers | 764 | 287 | £25 | Specsavers prices |
| Boots Opticians | 494 | 251 | £29.95 | Boots Opticians prices |
| Vision Express | 440 | 239 | £30 | Vision Express prices |
| Asda Opticians | 132 | 106 | £24 | Asda Opticians prices |
| Specsavers Healthcall | 44 | 40 | Not published | Specsavers Healthcall prices |
| Independent practices and smaller groups | 4,500 | 296 | Set by each practice | What an independent includes |
Districts with the most practices
Every district, by region
296 districts, grouped by the nine English regions. The number after each name is how many optical sites the register held there at the snapshot.
London 1,086 sites in 33 districts
North West 883 sites in 35 districts
West Midlands 865 sites in 30 districts
South East 860 sites in 64 districts
East of England 650 sites in 45 districts
East Midlands 604 sites in 35 districts
Yorkshire and The Humber 599 sites in 15 districts
South West 512 sites in 27 districts
Questions about the register
How many opticians are there in England?
6,374 optical sites were open on the NHS Organisation Data Service register in England when this snapshot was taken on 19 October 2026. They are run by 3,057 separate contractors and spread across 296 local authority districts.
Are all these opticians able to do an NHS-funded eye test?
An optical site is on this register because a contractor provides General Ophthalmic Services, or supplies glasses against NHS vouchers, at that address. If you qualify for a free NHS sight test, these are the practices that can carry it out. The register does not record which extra services a practice offers, so confirm when you book.
How much does an eye test cost at these practices?
The register holds no prices. Published prices at the big chains run from £24 at Asda Opticians and £25 at Specsavers to £29.95 at Boots Opticians and £30 at Vision Express. The other 71% of sites listed here are single-site practices and smaller groups, which set their own fees, so check the price with the practice when you book. A regional or national group without a published rate prices branch by branch. If you qualify on age, benefits or a health condition, the sight test is free.
Which chains have the most branches?
Specsavers: 764 listed sites in 287 districts. Boots Opticians: 494 listed sites in 251 districts. Vision Express: 440 listed sites in 239 districts. Asda Opticians: 132 listed sites in 106 districts. Specsavers Healthcall: 44 listed sites in 40 districts.
Which are the biggest optician groups outside the big chains?
On the NHS register in England, the largest groups after the chains in the table are Scrivens (162 sites), Hakim Group (72 sites), Bayfields (51 sites), Optical Express (48 sites), Leightons (29 sites), Haine and Smith (20 sites), Harrold (19 sites), Thompson Opticians (18 sites). Hakim Group brings together practices that keep their own local names. The counts are the sites listed under each company's NHS contractor record in England, so practices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not included. Most of the other independents on the register are single practices or small local groups. (Answer added after a reader question, November 2026.)
How current is this list?
The snapshot was taken on 19 October 2026 from the ODS predefined reports for optical headquarters and sites. NHS England refreshes the underlying data nightly and practices open and close between snapshots, so treat a listing as a record of the register on that date rather than a live status.
Source report: ODS reference data catalogue, Optical Headquarters and Sites.
Where this data comes from
Practice records are taken from the NHS Organisation Data Service reference data for Optical Headquarters and Sites, snapshot taken 19 October 2026. A listing records that an optical site was on the register on that date. It is not an NHS endorsement, a licence, a quality rating, or a guarantee that the practice is taking new patients. Opening hours, telephone numbers and prices are not held in this dataset, so confirm them with the practice before travelling.
Contains information from NHS England, licenced under the current version of the Open Government Licence. Released under the Open Government Licence v3.0. District, ward and coordinates from postcodes.io. Contains OS data (c) Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data (c) Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data (c) Crown copyright and database right 2026.
Something out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the next snapshot.