FOI – 2026-3366 General Ophthalmic Service (HTML)

Request

I’m getting in touch from Optometry Scotland as we are currently developing a series of outputs to mark 20 years of the General Ophthalmic Service (GOS), including wider campaign activity and a submission to the NHS Scotland Event 2026.

As part of this, we are looking to draw on robust data to help illustrate how community optometry has developed over that period, and I wondered if you might be able to assist or point us in the right direction within Practitioner Services Division.

In particular, we are interested in trends over time relating to:

• Total GOS activity, including sight tests and supplementary examinations
• Any available breakdowns by service type or patient group
• Data on referrals, where captured through GOS processes
• Any insight into outcomes or changes in service delivery over time (e.g. shifts in activity, uptake of enhanced services where visible in the data)

We are also exploring complementary system-wide data through Public Health Scotland, but PSD data will be key in helping us evidence the scale and development of activity within community optometry over the past 20 years. If helpful, I would be very happy to provide further context on how the data will be used. Equally, if there is a colleague better placed to advise on this request, I would be grateful if you could point me in the right direction.

Response##

Thank you for your freedom of information request which we received on 30 April 2026.

Further to a telephone conversation between Celia Brown Operations Managers PSDS and Joanne O’Hanlon, Operations Manager from Optometry Scotland, under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, we advised Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) does not hold this information. A conversation was held on what PSDS can provide and Optometry Scotland advised they would first seek assistance from Public Health Scotland and submit a new FOI to PSDS if required.

I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of how we have dealt with your request, you can make representations to us asking us to review the handling of your request.

If you require any further information, please contact the Associate Director Governance and Board Services (Board Secretary) within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence.

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If after a review you are still unhappy, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, or via their application form.

National Services Scotland (NSS) is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. You can view all FOI responses within our FOI Publications repository.