In Scotland all eye and vision problems are assessed at your local Optician/Optometrist.
As a result, there are no walk-in Eye Clinics anymore and, if you have an eye problem, your GP will likely direct you to attend your own optometrist or any available.
Optometrist practices are fully equipped to investigate all eye and vision problems and have direct access to Eye Clinics if referral to the Hospital Eye Service is required.
In addition, it is said that the eye is a window to your soul, it is also a window into your health. During an eye exam the optometrist can view and assess both your Cardio-Vascular system and your Central Nervous system.
Every optometrist will have a Bio-Microscope to assess your eye and other instruments to assess your visual pathway, from the front of your eye to the back of your brain. Some will now have Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) This can “see” and measure structures within the eye like a CT scan of your eye.
It therefore makes sense to have regular eye checks and attend your optometrist whenever you have concerns about your vision or your eyes.