The Changing Role of Optometry in Primary Care

A common response to rising demand for healthcare is to extend the role of professions allied to medicine and the range of their service provision. Optometry is one profession which has seen significant change since the enactment of the NHS General Ophthalmic Services (Scotland) Regulations and other recent legislation which allows optometrists to qualify as independent prescribers. Over two million eye exams are carried out annually for eye health check as well as sight test purposes. Increasing emphasis is now placed on optometrists’ diagnostic skills and treatment of eye conditions, and patients are encouraged to attend an optometrist as the first point of contact for any eye related problems. Little is currently known about how these changes have impacted on optometry practice, on optometrists or on patients. There is important research required to explore how optometry is meeting the challenges of its new remit and role within primary care in a variety of ways. One unique opportunity for exploration is through utilising a new ophthalmic data warehouse currently being developed by NHS Scotland (due to be completed March 2017) providing access to routinely collected data at a national level. Other possibilities include interviews that explore the experiences of different stakeholders.