Foreword by Lewis Macdonald MSP, Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care
I am very pleased to introduce the report of the Review of Community Eyecare Services in Scotland. The review was commissioned in March 2004. The review group was asked to consider the full range of community services available to visually impaired people in Scotland, and to make recommendations for modernising the system to ensure that it meets individual needs.
A great deal of work has gone into the review and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the contributors. One of the key messages of the review is that visually impaired individuals receive a better service if the helping organisations work closely together. This message is at the heart of the government's approach to improving health and social care for everyone. The principle of partnership working is evident both in the way in which the review has been conducted and in the conclusions that have been reached. There have been contributions from a wide range of service users, from professionals and from voluntary organisations.
Some changes are already underway. In particular, the new eye examination, introduced on 1 April this year, is opening up opportunities for optometrists to work more closely with the hospital eye service and to become more involved in local eyecare networks. The review has set out examples of good practice, both for adults and for children, that can be applied across Scotland.
The response to the public consultation has demonstrated both an appetite for change and a broad consensus on the way forward. The focus on building local services designed to meet local needs is consistent with the future direction of health and social care in Scotland. The review sets out an agenda for action to improve the quality of life for all visually impaired people in Scotland. It is a pleasure to welcome such a positive and timely document.
Lewis Macdonald
Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care