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New service expected to free up 20,000 hospital appointments a year.

A new eye care service is expected to reduce hospital admissions with approved Independent Prescribing (IP) optometrists receiving funding to treat more conditions in the community.

The new Anterior Eye Service, part of the Scottish Government’s record £139 million investment in eye care this year, will support approved IP optometrists to treat nine complex eye conditions which normally require a hospital visit.

The service will free up an estimated 20,000 hospital appointments a year, with patients being treated closer to home, offering greater appointment flexibility and continuity of care.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said:

“This new service will mean people can get treatment for more eye conditions in the community, without the need to travel for a hospital appointment. It will get people the treatment they need faster, improving outcomes while also freeing up vital hospital capacity for more serious cases.

“This is an excellent example of the Scottish Government’s approach to shifting the balance of care towards the community, and is part of our record £139 million investment in community eyecare this year. I am very grateful to our community optometry profession, including Optometry Scotland, for taking part in this programme, which we estimate will save around 20,000 hospital admissions a year.

“Scotland remains the only part of UK to provide free universal NHS-funded eye examinations. This National Eye Health Week I would remind people of the importance of having free regular examinations with a community optometrist, even if they don’t think there is a problem with their vision. An eye examination helps with early detection of a range of sight and non-sight threatening conditions and community optometrists should always be people’s first port of call for all eye-related issues.”

Background

The figure of 20,000 hospital appointments is based on data from NHS Grampian and NHS Fife that had, prior to 1 August 2025, managed and funded their own local anterior eye management services.

Approved Independent Prescribing Optometrists are now supported to treat nine acute anterior eye conditions, including:

Anterior Uveitis
Anterior and Posterior Blepharitis
Episcleritis
Herpes Simplex Keratitis
Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus
Infective Conjunctivitis
Marginal Keratitis
Ocular Allergy
Ocular Rosacea
Corneal Foreign Body removal will be added in January 2026.

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