EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
The review of community eyecare services in Scotland brings together a series of initiatives, all of which are intended to improve the quality and consistency of support offered to visually impaired people. Loss of sight can create a wide range of problems for the individual and no single agency or profession can deal with all of them. Within the wider context of current government policy on reforming health and social work, the review brings together all of the agencies involved in providing services to visually impaired adults and children. The aim is to create a local, integrated network of support which is readily available to individuals who are either born with serious sight problems or who lose their sight later in life.
Different approaches have been taken to the various aspects of the review. Some changes have already been made, like the new arrangements for optometry that were introduced in April 2006. Other areas of activity have been the subject of detailed scrutiny by interagency working groups, which have made proposals for change. The review has set out to be open and inclusive in its approach, involving both service users and service providers. The response to the public consultation shows that there is a broad consensus, both about the need to modernise community eyecare services and the general direction of change.
The review has produced some detailed recommendations. The emphasis is on organising services around the patient by integrating support at a local level. This principle is applied to services for adults and for children, but the report makes a strong case for recognising the particular needs of visually impaired children and organising support that is tailored to individual needs. There are examples of good practice which can be used as a guide. The report recommends changes to the certification and registration system, which is the formal link between health and social work. It is important that services are designed to include those who have additional disabilities or impairments. The report sets out some common standards, based on good practice, which should guide the planning and delivery of services. Finally, the report lists the practical steps that need to be taken to achieve lasting changes to the quality and consistency of support for all visually impaired people in Scotland.