Specsavers Morningside is marking World Glaucoma Week (March 8–14), by highlighting a shift in eye care that is moving specialist hospital services onto the Scottish high street.
As part of the Community Glaucoma Scheme (CGS) and NESGAT (NHS Education for Scotland Glaucoma Award Training), the store is now managing stable, low-risk of change glaucoma patients and those with ocular hypertension in the community, drastically reducing pressure on overstretched NHS hospital departments.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve. It often affects both eyes, usually to varying degrees. As most cases won’t have any symptoms, one of the best ways to detect glaucoma is during a routine eye test – that’s why it’s so important to have one regularly. With approximately one in ten of people over 70 living with the condition*, an aging population has led to a surge in referrals that the NHS often struggles to meet.
‘Glaucoma patients require constant, ongoing monitoring,’ says Michael O’Kane, optometrist director at Specsavers Morningside and Cameron Toll stores. ‘The CGS allows patients to continue their care somewhere closer to home. This not only improves convenience for the patient but, crucially, frees up hospital appointments for new referrals and urgent cases.’
To support the scheme, Specsavers has heavily invested in hospital-grade technology across all its stores.
This includes OCT (optical coherence tomography) scans. OCT technology allows optometrists to take a 3D image of the back of the eye so they can see what’s going on beneath the surface of the eye in greater detail. The scans can help detect sight-threatening eye conditions, including glaucoma, up to four years earlier than traditional imaging methods.
While the setting is more convenient, the clinical standard remains identical to hospital care. All optometrists delivering community glaucoma clinics in Scotland are highly experienced independent prescribers. To lead these clinics, they have undergone comprehensive training with hospital consultants and passed rigorous Master’s level (SQA Level 11) examinations. This ensures that whether a customer is seen in a hospital or a local high street store, the clinical care they receive is of similar gold standard.
The Morningside store is part of a rapidly growing network of Community Glaucoma Scheme (CGS) businesses across Scotland.
Michael says: ‘This unified standard ensures that whether you attend your CGS appointment at an independent boutique or a large multiple, your glaucoma management is being delivered to the exact same hospital-grade specification.’
‘We are incredibly proud to be part of a growing network of CGS practices across Scotland,’ says Michael. ‘Every clinician in this scheme has passed the same high-level exams to ensure that the quality of care on the high street is indistinguishable from that of a hospital optometrist.’
During World Glaucoma Week, Specsavers is reminding those who haven’t had an eye test in over two years to book an appointment.
‘We can't cure glaucoma yet; we can only slow it down,’ concludes Michael. ‘Regular screening, ideally with an OCT scan, is the only way to catch it before permanent damage occurs.’
For more information or to book an eye examination or hearing check, call Specsavers Morningside on 0131 446 9960 or visit or visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/morningside.
References
* BMJ Group & National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Issued by Tigerbond on behalf of Specsavers Morningside
For more information, please contact:
nicole.starrs@tigerbond.com
07730812631
