Primary care schemes prove their worth

The Welsh PEARS and WEHE schemes, along with the Wales Low Vision Service, have been given a clean bill of health in two Cardiff University reports commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government.

The evaluation of the Primary Eyecare Acute Referral Scheme and the Welsh Eye Health Examination, which aim to facilitate early detection of eye disease, revealed accredited optometrists managed the majority of patients and made acceptable clinical judgements in their management.

Out of the 6,432 patients for PEARS or WEHE (evaluated from April to December 2006), 66 per cent were managed by optometrists, 18 per cent were referred to HES after their eye exam and 16 per cent were referred to their GP. One per cent of 289 patients interviewed by telephone a week after their eye exam, who had been either discharged or managed by their optometrist, were deemed to have been inappropriately managed.