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Deprivation and the location of primary care optometry services in Scotland

Eye (2024)Cite this article

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We read with interest the report on primary optometry service provision in England [1]. Particularly the conclusion that deprived areas receive a significantly lower rate of health care coverage (6.93 practices per 100,000) versus the most affluent (18.33 per 100,000).

Scottish analysis from 2017 reported contrasting results, with “a largely equitable distribution of optometry practices across the strata of deprivation” [2].

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Fig. 1: Number of community optometry practices in NHS GG&C area per 10,000 population, in 2012 and 2020.
Fig. 2: Number of community optometry practices in NHS GG&C with at least one IP per 10,000 population, 2023.

References

  1. Harper RA, Hooper J, Fenerty CH Roach J, Bowen M. Deprivation and the location of primary care optometry services in England. Eye 2023;1–3 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02774-8. Epub ahead of print.

  2. Legge R, Strang NC, Loffler G. Distribution of optometric practices relative to deprivation index in Scotland. J Public Health. 2018;40:389–396.

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  5. Hayden C. The barriers and enablers that affect access to primary and secondary eye care services across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland CEP/IR/01. 2012.

  6. Ophthalmic workload Statistics. Public Health Scotland March 2023. https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ophthalmic-workload-statistics/ophthalmicworkload-statistics-statistics-as-at-year-ending-31-march-2023/.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Dalmellington Road, Ayr, KA6 6DX, UK

    Anna Blake & Benjamin Forrest

  2. Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, Gartnavel General Hospital, 1053 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0YN, UK

    Jonathan Nairn, Toby Boote & David Lockington

  3. NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Ayrshire Maternity unit, Kilmarnock, KA2 0BE, UK

    Cara Owens

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  1. Anna Blake
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  2. Jonathan Nairn
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  3. Toby Boote
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  4. Cara Owens
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  5. Benjamin Forrest
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  6. David Lockington
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Correspondence to Anna Blake.

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Blake, A., Nairn, J., Boote, T. et al. Deprivation and the location of primary care optometry services in Scotland. Eye (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-02973-x

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