GOS regulations in Scotland save NHS £71million

An Optometry Scotland report has shown that Scottish optometry services saved the NHS £71million in a year.

Holyrood’s revised General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) regulations made a pledge to use community-based optometry resources more to relieve the pressure put in GPs, A&E, pharmacy and hospital eye clinics. This resulted in savings of millions during 2017 and has meant that 370,000 people have avoided hospital care every year since.

Chair of Optometry Scotland Samantha Watson said: ‘The GOS Works report is proof positive that empowering optometrists to take on more responsibility in the management of all eye conditions has not only been widely beneficial but has also realised significant vital savings. Now more than 80 per cent are managed by optometrists. It’s a vast sea change – one that provides early intervention, rapid diagnosis, not to mention the management and prevention of ongoing ocular morbidity.’