Today marks World Sight Day, and offers an important moment to reflect on the profession’s collective impact in preventing avoidable sight loss and advancing patient care through innovation, collaboration and service development.
In Scotland, optometrists continue to lead the way in delivering accessible, high quality, NHS-funded eye care through General Ophthalmic Services (GOS). Early detection remains one of the most powerful tools in preventing avoidable sight loss, with community optometrists playing a central role in identifying, managing, and referring conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration before irreversible damage occurs.
The Evolving Clinical Landscape
The introduction of the new GOS Specialist Supplementary Service (GOSSS) represents a further step forward for community-based care. Independent Prescribing (IP) qualified optometrists are now able to manage a broader range of anterior eye conditions within practice including anterior uveitis, herpes simplex keratitis, marginal keratitis, blepharitis and ocular rosacea, ocular allergy, episcleritis, infective conjunctivitis, corneal foreign body removal and herpes zoster ophthalmicus.
This builds on the success of Community Eyecare, with services such as the Community Glaucoma Service (CGS), s demonstrating the profession’s capacity to deliver safe, effective, and person-centred care closer to home. Together, these services reflect the strength and maturity of the GOS model in supporting the sustainability of NHS eye care and reducing pressure on hospital ophthalmology departments.
Clinical Excellence in Everyday Practice
Every day, optometrists across Scotland identify systemic and ocular disease through routine examinations, often before symptoms arise. The case below illustrates the value of comprehensive clinical assessment and professional collaboration within the NHS framework.
Case Study: Systemic Disease Identified Through Retinal Findings1
During a routine GOS eye examination, an optometrist identified widespread peripheral retinal haemorrhages in a patient presenting with tiredness and symptoms of anaemia. Following correspondence with the GP, further investigations confirmed lymphocytic lymphoma.
Early detection at the optometric stage prompted timely treatment, resulting in full recovery and complete resolution of the retinal changes within a year.
The case exemplifies how optometrists contribute to early systemic disease detection and reinforces the importance of maintaining comprehensive examination protocols, including dilation where clinically indicated.
Looking Ahead
As the scope of practice continues to develop, the profession’s role in early detection and condition management will be pivotal in supporting the wider health system and improving patient outcomes.
Optometry Scotland will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and sector partners to ensure that community optometry remains at the forefront of Scotland’s eye health strategy building on the strengths of the GOS model to deliver safe, sustainable, and accessible care for all.
Optometry Scotland recognises the importance of World Sight Day. As the representative body for the optometry sector in Scotland, we encourage reflection on the changes and developments within the sector and continue to strive for progress in the future. We welcome open dialogue with our members as we continue to represent their interests.
If you would like to discuss anything, please get in touch with your organisation’s OS Representative or Regional OS Representative, or contact us at office@optometryscotland.org.uk.
- OS Member, NHS Lothian ↩︎