MSP Rhona welcomes free eye test policy

Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Rona Mackay has backed a Scottish Government commitment to continue making free eye tests available.

The move comes a decade after the introduction of free NHS eye examinations, which have seen a 29 per cent increase in the number of tests carried out since 2006.

The Scottish Government says it has saved constituents money, improved health and helped detect more serious illnesses.

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Health secretary Shona Robison has now announced a review to consider the role that community eye services play within the wider NHS and whether more can be done to improve the level of care for patients.

More than two million eye examinations a year are now carried out in Scotland, providing both a sight test and an eye health check that can identify treatable conditions at an early stage in their development.

Rona Mackay said: “It is vital we continue this good work to ensure people in Strathkelvin and Bearsden and indeed across the whole of Scotland have the best access to eye-care as they possibly can.

“The free service allows this easy access and helps improve public health and often discovers more serious illnesses long before they otherwise would have.

“I’m very thankful to the Scottish Government for this continuation and also to our hard working opticians and their staff who deliver this service on the ground.”