Letter setting out general ophthalmic services fees and payments from 1 April 2025
Published 8 December 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
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Summary
I am writing to notify you of the:
- NHS sight test fee and NHS domiciliary fees from 1 April 2025
- continuing professional development payment for 2024
- clinical placement training payment from 1 April 2025
Please could you bring this information to the attention of all staff dealing with general ophthalmic services (GOS) including optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners.
NHS sight test fee and NHS domiciliary fee
Following consultation with representatives of the professions, ministers have determined that the NHS sight test fee should be increased to £24.13.
For superannuation purposes, please note that for ophthalmic medical practitioners, the practice expense component of the sight test fee will be £6.12 from 1 April 2025.
The additional fees payable to GOS contractors for NHS domiciliary visits will remain at £40.80 for the first and second patients seen at one visit, and £10.21 for the third and subsequent patients.
The ‘General Ophthalmic Services Contracts (Payments) Directions 2025’ are published on the NHS general ophthalmic service fees and payments from April 2025 page.
The NHS sight test fee, including the sight test fee element of domiciliary visits will be backdated to 1 April 2025. Contractors do not need to take action. Primary Care Support England will make any necessary payments directly to contractors.
Continuing professional development payment
The payment in respect of continuing professional development, undertaken between 1 January to 31 December 2024, by optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners, without another medical appointment (that is, who do no other remunerative work but the testing of sight), will remain at £596.
The claim window will run from 8 December 2025 to 31 March 2026. NHS England provides details about on Submitting a CPD claim during the claim window.
The ‘General Ophthalmic Services Contracts (Continuing Professional Development Allowance) Payments Directions 2025’ are published on the NHS general ophthalmic service fees and payments from April 2025 page.
Clinical placement training payment
Ministers have agreed that support will continue to be provided for the supervision of optometry trainees, following the education review by the General Optical Council.
A clinical placement training payment shall be available to any contractor who holds a GOS contract and employs an eligible optometry trainee within their practice. Contractors will be able to claim up to £4,010 per eligible student for training completed between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This is calculated on a pro rata basis up to a maximum of £4,010 for a placement period of 44 to 48 weeks.
All outstanding claims for clinical placement training undertaken before 1 December 2025, should be submitted no later than 31 March 2026. For outstanding claims, the fee claimable will be the fee applicable in the year the clinical placement was completed.
NHS England will shortly be issuing guidance and information about how contractors can make claims for this payment.
The ‘General Ophthalmic Services Contracts (Clinical Placement Training Payment) Directions 2025’ are published on the NHS general ophthalmic service fees and payments from April 2025 page.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Scully
Director, Primary and Community Care