Optometry Scotland calls for eye care awareness campaign

Optometry Scotland is meeting with the Scottish Executive next week with the aim of securing an awareness campaign for the free eye examinations for all launched this April.

Chairman of Optometry Scotland, optometrist Frank Munro said that a campaign had been pledged and it would target people at risk such as the elderly and children, to encourage them to have proper eye care, with the aim of discovering cases of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and even uncorrected refractive errors.

'We are seeing a shift in the delivery of eye care in the community, moving secondary care into primary care, for example taking cases like stable glaucoma out of the hospital and into the community. If we get that right, 70 per cent of eye conditions can be looked after in the community.'