Eye care is on GPs' agenda

The annual GP Forum provided a first-ever half-day course dedicated to optometry and ophthalmology services at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) last month.

'Pathways in eye care management for the future' was set up by RSM council member and fellow Bob Hutchinson, to show the audience of GPs, practice managers and optometrists how they could work together in primary care.

Chairing the event, Hutchinson pointed out the number of people living in the UK with failing eyesight who could be corrected if they took an eye examination and asked GPs to urge their patients to do so. Working with opticians in the primary care sector would ease their case load and provide better access and appropriate referrals, he said.