Guide launched to help GPs improve eye care knowledge

A new guide has been launched to help GPs improve eye care knowledge and prevent sight loss in older people.

Produced by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the UK Vision Strategy, with support from Thomas Pocklington Trust, the guide has been published after a recent survey revealed many GPs were not confident when diagnosing major eye diseases. Just one third (34.1 per cent) of GPs surveyed were confident in spotting symptoms of age-related macular degeneration.

It was also pointed out that while sight loss was common among older people and can affect their general health and well-being, they may put their sight difficulties down to ageing and not mention them to GPs.