Scotland's professionals have denounced the funding set aside to offer its entire population free eye tests as 'unrealistic and inadequate'.
Optometry Scotland (OS), the representative body for optometrists and DOs north of the border, responded to the country's Executive plans for the important Health Bill legislation this week, ahead of its oral evidence which will be given on February 22. Its chairman, Hal Rollason, has asked for an immediate start to negotiations on a new GOS contract, and criticised the draft bill, claiming the proposals would lead to 'merely extending the current NHS GOS Sight Test [which] would be an ineffective and profligate exercise'.
The reported £17m which has been set aside for eye care improvement is called 'wholly unrealistic and inadequate' by the representative body, and OS has reportedly called for another £53m to be added to conduct more thorough examinations.
OS supports the 'long-overdue' consideration that is being given to eye care in Scotland, but 'what we do not welcome, however, is the simple widening of access to a GOS sight test'.
In addition, Rollason went on to state: 'To put it bluntly, such a change would be seen as being implemented only for political purposes since it would confer no health gain on the people of Scotland.'
Scotland's press has taken up these comments, and concluded that the drive towards free eye tests for all is part of the price the Lib Dems required of Labour to participate in the Executive coalition.
A leader column in The Scotsman (February 15) said that the Lib Dems' intentions were to introduce 'a more extensive set of universal eye tests, which would be preventative medicine, rather than the current tests'.
OS suggested that in future optometrists could extend their level of service to work more closely with ophthalmology, and would therefore change their current fee structure.
In addition, the body believes the possibility of a new GOS contract would 'open the door' for more comprehensive and expanded eye care programmes.
'The Scottish Parliament has, we believe, the opportunity here to reduce the incidence of preventable eye disease and take a significant step towards the elimination of avoidable visual impairment and blindness in Scotland,' said Rollason. 'However, the bill as presently drafted is unlikely to achieve this goal.'
Scotland's professionals have denounced the funding set aside to offer its entire population free eye tests as 'unrealistic and inadequate'.