The SNP MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Christina McKelvie MSP, visited Localeyes Optometrists on Monday 22nd May.
Situated on King Street in Stonehouse, Localeyes is at the heart of the community, and Christina McKelvie MSP has hailed them for their trailblazing qualifications which means they can provide optometry services that most can’t.
Localeyes operates a game-changing Optimal Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine which provides advanced images of the eye. This machine can be used to diagnose serious eye conditions, but also to identify other health irregularities which may become more serious medical conditions, such as cancer. The OCT machine can be used to identify tremendously small irregularities which could be indicative of such a condition, meaning that patients are afforded the opportunity to receive treatments from other medical professionals before their condition becomes serious.
The Optometrist at Localeyes, Colette, also has the Scottish Government funded NESGAT qualification, which allows prescribing optometrists to provide care to discharged glaucoma patients in the community. This reduces the burden on other NHS primary care staff, such as local GPs.
Commenting on the visit, Christina said:
“It was great to visit such a friendly, warm and welcoming organisation in Stonehouse. Localeyes is doing incredibly important work, and some of their successful stories relating to their use of their OCT machine reinforces a key message that I want to impress upon constituents: always attend your regular eye appointment!
“Localeyes is very much part of the community in Stonehouse. Their regular engagement with the community and Stonehouse Business Association are two examples of this. Everybody in Stonehouse knows them, and this works vice versa, too. Colette and her team are vital to communities like Stonehouse, and it is such an honour to have them in the constituency.
“I was also pleased to hear about the impact that the Scottish Government NESGAT qualifications are having on primary care. It is another example of sensible, controlled funding from the Scottish Government which is having the intended impact. It makes sense that Optometrists should be able to qualify to provide care to discharged glaucoma patients, and I welcome the Scottish Government’s part in making this happen.”
Colette, the Optometrist at Localeyes, added:
“It’s fantastic to receive funding and support from the SNP government to allow us to offer beneficial enhanced services to the community.
“It is always a pleasure to meet Christina who is so supportive of everything we do.”