Benefits of the new contract

• It provides a free eye examination for every person in Scotland
• It is an examination that is appropriate to their needs and symptoms
• Refraction is not a mandatory part of the New NHS Eye Examination
• Optometrists can manage more eye conditions in the community
• Many patients will benefit from local, convenient and high quality care
• It will reduce inappropriate referrals to hospitals by the introduction of repeat
• tests and procedures i.e. a supplementary examination
• It will encourage the use of dilation, contact applanation tonometry and full threshold fields
• It paves the way for an increase in co-managed care between hospital ophthalmologists and local community optometrists
• It will encourage the establishment of care pathways for most common eye conditions
• It reduces health inequality by making rural and low volume practices more viable.