Practitioners urged to improve LVA service

A report from inside the Scottish Executive has recommended that optometrists, ophthalmologists and GPs north of the border have a formal notification system to help visually impaired patients. It is particularly critical of the provision of low-vision services in Scotland.
The report, by a Scottish Executive working group, makes a number of recommendations for health professionals, local authorities and voluntary organisations.
It criticised the current system, stating that although optometrists and dispensing opticians can supply low-vision aids, not all practitioners Ôare keen or experienced in the subjectÕ. The report notes that the provision of low-vision services, including aids, and possible certification and registration is normally only considered after an appointment with an ophthalmologist, to whom the patient has to be referred from the optometrist and then the GP.
The working group stated that Ôclear evidence was found that the current criteria for certification and registration, based on simple clinical measures, is unsatisfactoryÕ.
The report said that the existing criteria should not be confused with a Ôcomprehensive visual assessmentÕ, and that the tests for visual acuity and visual field were Ôblunt instrumentsÕ for assessing a serious sight problem or determining whether a person was blind or partially sighted.