The NHS Community Glaucoma Service, which is in the early stages of being rolled out nationally across Scotland, makes it possible for patients to be discharged from the Hospital Eye Service and receive care from accredited providers in the community. When fully rolled out nationally, the Community Glaucoma Service will have the capacity to treat an estimated 20,000 patients being discharged from hospital. This will allow valuable NHS resources to be focused for those patients with the most serious sight threatening conditions, and for those patients whose condition is less serious to receive care in a timely manner.
NHS Community Glaucoma Service accredited providers are specialist community optometrists, who are fully qualified in the ongoing treatment and management of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. By placing this service in the community, eligible patients will receive care in a more flexible manner and there may be less of a requirement for travel.
In order to receive care in this way, patients need to be assessed by a consultant ophthalmologist as being eligible to receive care in this way. Where this is the case, eligible patients will receive a letter from the Hospital Eye Service which explains how they can register to receive care under the NHS Community Glaucoma Service.