Eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2024: interactive data

The number and rate of allied ophthalmic personnel, full-time equivalent (FTE), per 100,000 Australian population: Measure 4.3

The size and location of the eye health workforce provides a broad indication of access to eye health services. (Figure 57 and Figure 58)

Full-time equivalent (FTE) is a measure calculated by dividing an estimate of the total hours worked by employees in an occupation in a week by an estimate of the standard hours worked (38 hours per week). The FTE measure is then compared with the size of relevant population to get the FTE per 100,000 population.

Latest data

The biggest category of allied ophthalmic personnel in Australia is optical dispensers. In 2021, there were 6,162 optical dispensers (14.2 full-time equivalent (FTE) per 100,000), 401 optical mechanics (1.3 FTE per 100,000) and 1,069 orthoptists (3.0 FTE per 100,000) in Australia (Figure 57).

Figure 57: Number and rate of allied ophthalmic personnel, 2021

Notes

1. FTE per 100,000 based on a 38-hour work week. 
2. For confidentiality reasons, the ABS randomly adjusts Census data; consequently, data in this table may not sum to the total and may differ slightly to data published elsewhere. 

Source: AIHW analysis of 2021 Census

By remoteness

In 2021, Major cities had the highest number (4,604) and rate (13.8 FTE per 100,000) of optical dispensers and of other allied ophthalmic personnel (1,299, or 5.3 FTE per 100,000). Inner regional areas followed with 1,143 optical dispensers (17.1 FTE per 100,000) and 141 other allied ophthalmic personnel (1.9 FTE per 100,000). There were insufficient numbers of optical dispensers and other allied ophthalmic personnel in Remote and Very remote areas to calculate rates (Figure 58 – remoteness).

By jurisdiction

In 2021, New South Wales had the highest number (1,784) of optical dispensers and of other allied ophthalmic personnel (615). Western Australia had the highest rate of optical dispensers (18.6 FTE per 100,000), and Victoria had the highest rate of optical mechanics and orthoptists (5.9 FTE per 100,000) (Figure 58 – jurisdiction). There were insufficient numbers of optical mechanics and orthoptists in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory to report rates.

Time trend

From 2016 to 2021, the FTE rate of all allied ophthalmic personnel remained relatively constant, from 15.1 to 14.4 FTE per 100,000 for optical dispensers, and from 4.5 to 4.4 FTE per 100,000 for optical mechanics and orthoptists combined ( 58 – time trend).

Figure 58: Number and rate of allied ophthalmic personnel: interactive data