SNP to discuss its optical policy

The one-day conference, to be held in Edinburgh on June 23, has been organised by the Scottish Council of the Association of Optometrists and the Scottish Committee of Optometrists. SNP spokesperson on health Kay Ullrich MSP was unavailable for comment but a spokesman said she would speak generally on the party's policy, which is currently under review. It is understood that current SNP policy is that free NHS eye examinations should be available to everyone. Two speakers from the Central Services Agency will join Ms Ullrich. Bob Anderson, assistant director (dental and ophthalmics) will outline the development of a new payment and monitoring system and optometric adviser Sudi Patel will speak about his responsibilities to the CSA. Optometrist Stephen McPherson from the Scottish Committee of Optometrists will discuss the attitudes of Scottish optometrists to intervals between GOS sight tests. Donald Cameron, former chairman of the Association of Optometrists, will speak about the AOP's guidance on the eye examination and Jan Bergman, primary care development consultant to the AOP, will speak on the opportunities for optometrists in primary care. The conference's aim is to reach optometrists who are unable to attend meetings in London. Fifty practitioners are expected to attend the event at the King James Thistle Hotel. IGA launches awareness week The International Glaucoma Association launched its national awareness week on Tuesday with a visit to the British Airways London Eye in London. The slogan for FROG Week (For Relief of Glaucoma) is 'Never, never ever have another sight test'. The message the IGA wants to get through to the public is that eye health checks detect conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure in addition to correcting defective vision.