 The final item of business today is a member's business debate on motion number 578, in the name of Stuart McMillan, on iHealth week. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put. Can I ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to press their speak buttons now? Colin Stewart McMillan, to open the debate. Mr McMillan, seven minutes please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. First of all, I'd like to thank all the members for signing the motion, so that we can have this member's debate. I'd also like to thank and welcome the members of RNAV Scotland, who are in the public gallery today. Last week, we had the first cross-party group meeting of this new session. It was a very interesting cross-party group meeting, and a whole host of issues were discussed and debated, certainly trying to plan ahead, not just for this year but also for the coming parliamentary session. I know that there are a number of members in the chamber today who were at the cross-party group meeting, so I am looking forward to listening to their contributions. I am very pleased to open the debate and to bring the issue of iHealth week to the Parliament, an issue that has certainly got more serious over the past Parliament and, without any action, it will only get more serious over the course of this Parliament. This week is national iHealth week, an opportunity for us all to reflect on one of our senses, which we sometimes take for granted. Considering that life without sight is almost unimaginable, how many of us give our eyes the care and attention that is required to protect this valued sense? Every day in Scotland, 10 people lose their sight. That means that every day in eye clinics across Scotland, ophthalmologists have to tell patients that their sight has deteriorated to such an extent that it is not treatable and that, consequently, they are blind or partially sighted. The impact on the individual and also the family can be devastating. Questions about whether they can keep their job about driving and getting about, socialising, going to sport and seeing that their wives, husbands, children and grandchildren raise through their mind and before the reality of living with sight loss actually sets in. There are challenges on the horizon for Scotland's iHealth. Our ageing population brings with it associated eye disease. The rise of diabetes is driving up the number of Scots with diabetic retinopathy, which can cause blindness if it is not treated. Scotland's welcoming growing diversity brings with it diverse iHealth challenges. The RNAB states that there are currently over 188,000 Scots living with significant sight loss at the moment, with the projection that that is more than double by 2020 to nearly 400,000 people. Given that eye clinics are already the busiest part of outpatients in NHS, I do not have to get into any detail about the pressures that increased sight loss will actually bring if we do not act even further. There are bright spots, around 50 per cent of sight loss is actually avoidable if it is detected early. There are new technologies through drug treatment and also NHS efficiency, but we do still need to do more. The personal cost to the individual who do not need to lose a sight is actually incalculable, and the cost to the public purse is all too predictable. I am privileged to be the chair of the cross-party group on visual impairment in this Parliament and I was chair in the last parliamentary session as well. I also know that that ever cross-party group has been well run certainly for many years, even before I became its convener. It is important to realise and highlight that we are visual impairment where the visual impairment sector actually comes together to have detailed, effective and vibrant discussion about the future of eye care and the provision of services for blind and partially sighted people from newly born babies with sight loss through school and work to retirement and also old age. Supporting people with sight loss across the generations is what ever cross-party group actually manages to do. Despite those uncertain times and against the backdrop of financial pressures, there are certainly some positive policy developments. Eye health has been on the Government's agenda and radar for some time, and the sector is coming together and speaking with one voice to a degree that has not been seen before. Some of the key developments in recent years, including the Scottish vision strategy, the sea year strategy and the getting it right for every child approach, are aspects that have certainly made a positive difference. The Scottish vision strategy is a cross-sector framework to improve provision for eye health and sight loss aims to ensure that everyone in Scotland knows how to look after their eyes, that treatment with an eye condition receives timely treatment, and if permanent sight loss occurs, there are early and appropriate services in support and that Scotland is a society in which people with sight loss can fully participate. The sea year strategy was launched by the Scottish Government in 2014, and the strategy raises the profile of sensory impairments. Most notably, it called for consistency in how services are planned and commissioned across Scotland's 32 local authorities, each of which had to set up local implementation groups. It also called for a move towards joint sensory services for those experiencing sight and or hearing loss. Then there is a getting it right for every child approach enshrined in law by the children and young people of Scotland in 2014. It states that all children, including those with a visual impairment, should be supported to address their wellbeing needs throughout their lives. The GERFEC principles were built upon the 2012 Durham review, which examined learning provision for children with complex additional support needs, including visual impairment. In recent years, there has been the presumption that those children should be educated in mainstream schools except under exceptional circumstances, and there are organisations who work tirelessly to fight for blind and partial sighted people, to prevent avoidable blindness and to ensure the best outcomes for those with visual impairments. I certainly would like to put it in record my particular thanks to the third sector organisations such as R&B Scotland, Guide Dogs, the Royal Blind and the many local societies from sight action in Inverness to Nes in the north-east, VisionPK in Perth and Cymru and Visibility. Their work to bring to our attention the cause of blind and partial sighted people is second to none. As a Parliament, we are fortunate to have such persistent advocates. While the Scottish Government has ensured investment in eye health and retained provision for free eye health checks, and I know that it is committed to tackling the rise in sight loss, we certainly can always do more. Yesterday, I helped at the R&B Scotland stand in Greenock's Oak Mall shopping centre. My thanks certainly go to the Oak Mall management for allowing the stall and also to R&B Scotland for agreeing to come again to Greenock. We spoke to a large number of people locally, and to raise the importance of getting eyes tested regularly. The reception on the hall was good, and many people informed us that they get regular check-ups, and that was certainly hardening to hear. Promoting free eye tests to wider society is absolutely vital, especially among vulnerable groups where awareness has been found to be lower. Scottish Government public eye health campaigns have proved useful, and I look forward to seeing the results of the community optometry service review as we seek to improve eye health care across Scotland. In promoting that motion, I certainly hope to bring greater focus and resulting action from our NHS, and also the Scottish Government on sight loss to the benefit of us all. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Ms McMillan. I have time in hand, so I can give every other speaker an extra minute. I know that that is exciting. Stuart Stevenson, if you will follow by Miles Briggs. Mr Stevenson, please. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Let me start by congratulating Stuart McMillan on bringing forward his motion, which is allowing us to debate this important subject tonight. Sight is, of course, one of our senses, and all adds to life's richness. When we hear music, it moves us. When we taste food, it satisfies us. When we see light, it inspires us. Each sensory perception is extraordinary and each is an instrument of life, but senses are, of course, a great deal more than that. They are valuable as functions of indicators of our general health. If protected, the resulting good health will necessarily yield encouraging social and economic benefits. The primary issue tonight, of course, is a discussion around health. Our sensory faculties directly affect and are affected by health. Much like our senses, health is central to our experience. Of all life's gifts, it bestows the greatest benefit. Wealth is a long way secondary to health. We now, of course, live in a country that is ageing. I shall be 17 next month myself. I suffer from five sight defects—myopia, hypometropia, astigmatism, presbyopia and the one that cannot be corrected by my spectacles, low light, myopia, as the cells in my deteriorate. None of those are unusual. We will all, to some degree, experience those as we get older. Of course, looking into the eye, we can see more than simply optical defects or the deterioration of the cells in the eye. We have seen the rise in diabetes, which is a sight-threatening condition. Creating vulnerability in the eye health of this country is a substantial increase in diabetes. We need to deploy effective access to treatment more than ever before. However, the gateway to treatment is to have eye examinations. That is why the NHS examinations are a necessary and very intelligent tool. Of course, they test much more now than when astigmatism was first diagnosed for me in my 20s. However, the tool is of no value if people do not actually use it. We need to get more people going for eye tests. We need to get more people aware of the option of eye tests. Some people do not go because they do not realise that they can have a free eye test. While others do not realise the wider health benefits that may accrue from detecting through an eye test, another condition may exist. Of course, it can prevent the slow process of visual impairment but show a window into systemic problems. Eye health week is a huge opportunity for health in Scotland and an opportunity through debates like this and wider activity across Scotland to create a new baseline for eye health but through that a baseline for overall health. It is an indicator and a preventer of health issues, a key element to our general well-being. We all kind of know the importance of our eyes. We rely on them, we take them for granted but not all of us look after them the way that we should do. If we have early treatment of conditions that can be seen through the eye, there is a wider community economic benefit but it will also make people healthier and happier as well. Limiting treatment costs and minimising loss is something that is delivered by preventative measures and being proactive. We want people to know about the availability of eye tests. We want people to benefit their personal health by undertaking them. One in four people, apparently, do not know that eye exams are free in Scotland. We have heard from Stuart McMillan and many of the organisations that are working on the subject. I very much want to indicate my support, as I am sure others will do likewise for the work that they have done. I previously was a deputy convener of the cross-party group on visual impairment, so I know from the experience of the important work that is done. There are social and economic benefits from good eyesight, from testing for eyesight. I hope that we will continue all of us to press that important issue. I congratulate Stuart McMillan on bringing forward this member's debate this evening and also pay tribute to the work that he is doing in Parliament on this as one of the new members of the cross-party group. I also look forward to working with colleagues from across the chamber to help to take forward this issue. I also apologise in advance that I will be unable to stay for the full debate. I welcome the opportunity to pay tribute to our eye health professionals across Scotland, especially our optometrists and ophthalmologists, for their excellent work and to commend the charities and associations working to support people with sight loss in our communities, including national organisations such as R&IB Scotland, Optometry Scotland and Guide Dogs, as well as many other local groups across the Lothian region that I represent. At a time when we are seeing growing demand on our health services, it is worth reflecting that eye health professionals play a big part in reducing the burden on general practitioners in secondary care. Stuart McMillan's motion is right to refer to the need to increase awareness of eye health and eye health checks through effective and focused public information campaigns. Take-up rates of free eye health examinations among those on low incomes and among ethnic minorities across Scotland are too low, and we need innovative ways of reaching those groups. As has already been mentioned, with type 2 diabetes more than six times more common in people of South Asian descent and three times more common amongst people of African and Caribbean origin, we need to see new approaches to target those at-risk groups. It is clear that many groups that are failing to be reached and who are not responding to traditional health advice and public advertising campaigns need to be addressed. I welcome a debate on that potentially in the future on how we address those issues. For example, considering the number of optitions available in deprived communities across Scotland, as well as developing potentially a mobile eye screening service for many highland and rural communities who maybe are also not going as regularly to have their eyes tested. Private and third sector initiatives also have an important role to play here, and I note that RNIB Scotland have established a good working partnership with specsavers, which is seeing them work together to encourage everyone to have eye checks at least every two years. Given that as much as 50 per cent of sight loss is preventable, early diagnosis is clearly vital. As we have already heard, eye health check-ups can also help to detect a range of other health conditions, including some that could be fatal if left untreated. Scotland enjoys some excellent quality eye healthcare, but there is still more to be done and much work to be carried out given the number of Scots with visual impairment is also now projected to double to over 400,000 people between now and 2030 as our elderly population increases. Forward planning, based on accurate up-to-date information, is critically important, and I share the concern of RNIB Scotland and others that the Scottish Government has not been publishing registration figures for blind and partially sighted people in Scotland in recent years, with the most recent figures available only relating to 2010. I wonder in responding to this debate this evening if the minister will commit to resuming the publication of information provided by local authorities and updating the registration process to increase registration and provide additional categories of information so that we can have a truly national picture of sight loss that can best focus limited resources. To conclude, Deputy Presiding Officer, I really welcome tonight's debate and I look forward to further progress being made on building on much of the positive work that has already been undertaken to ensure both awareness of good eye healthcare and access to examinations and treatment, as well as working to make sure that we have the robust data that we need that helps to inform future planning and delivery of services. I thank my colleague and constituency neighbour, Stuart McMillan, for bringing this important matter to the chamber. Sight is undoubtedly the most developed of the human senses. It provides us with our most reliable perceptions and over half of all the information received by the human brain is visual. The brain receives and interprets this information and produces the images that we see. Sight is a fertile source for imagination and creativity, hence it is of the utmost importance that we take care of it throughout our lives. Eye health week serves as a reminder to Parliament and beyond of how crucial screenings and diagnostics are in the delivery of eye healthcare. Nearly two million people in the UK live with some sight loss and more than half of those incidents of sight loss are preventable or can be avoided. Sight loss is associated with significant health inequalities and its silent nature means symptoms often gone recognised amongst people in vulnerable socioeconomic groups and who are therefore more prone to it. It can be a matter of pride too. My grandmother was completely blind in one eye through having cataracts for seven years before letting on and it was only when she kept turning her head 90 degrees that her daughter realised that there was something wrong with her eye. Bizarrely, my grandmother thought that sight loss was a shameful thing. I do not know who is standing together, Mr McMillan. I thank Kevin Gibson for taking the intervention. Mr Gibson knows someone in Greenock John Crowder who, this morning, underwent an operation to have a cataract removed and I am sure how Mr Gibson would like to wish him a good recovery. It is very handy, Mr Gibson. I certainly would, Presiding Officer. Indeed, cataracts are important and a cataract operation can transform people's lives. I think that that is an important intervention that Stewart has just made. We have already heard that ethnicity can be a factor in some eye conditions. For example, Europeans are most susceptible to age-related macular degeneration, whereas South Asia and African Caribbean ethnic groups are at greater risk of developing diabetes. Of course, sight loss is one of the most common complications of diabetes. In Scotland, diabetes affects more than 1 in 25 people, more than 228,000 folk. That is 228,000 people who are potentially exposed to sight loss and ophthalmologic disorders. To detect diabetic retinopathy, only an eye check will ascertain potential sight loss, leading in the worst cases to blindness. I would like to pick up a point that Stuart McMillan made in his motion, in which there is an obvious link between eye health and wider public health issues. Diabetes is a case in point, but it is also true that cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure are likely to have a significant effect on eye health, too. Infectious diseases such as shingles of the eye affect up to a quarter of all cases and can have a devastating impact on eye health. What is at stake with regular eye check-ups is not only to detect potential eye trouble but any other potential diseases or infections. Free eye health checks for all that is implemented by the SNP Government are likely to be instrumental in preventing avoidable loss of sight and improving the cost efficiency of eye care services and, more generally, healthcare services. Not having universal free eye tests would be a penny-wise, pound-full-ish measure, and I'm pleased that Scotland will not go down this road, unlike south of the border. In my constituency of Cunningham North, a 10-year sensory plan was launched in 2014 in order to improve the lives of people suffering sensory difficulties by finding a new approach to sensory services provision across NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Site loss is one of the key elements of the plan, and I'm pleased to see the innovations and improvements that have been made since 2014. Today, there are an increased number of practices across mainland Ayrshire and Cumbria. There are 60 optometry practices providing services and seven of them providing care in people's homes. I'm also pleased to know that eye health is evolving with new practices such as, for example, the digital referral that is now being used in Ayrshire, Arran and Cumbria, which is an innovative development in the eye care sector. That makes it easier to deliver patient care and improves the quality of the service. The use and applicability of that information should be further explored in improving research and developing preventative approaches. It's interesting to see how eye healthcare can be successfully coordinated nationally and locally, and a Government must continue to work in that direction. Eye health week gives us the opportunity to inform ourselves about ophthalmology issues through diverse events in Scotland and take advantage of a free site test, which I encourage people to have if they have not done so recently. I would like to warmly thank all the organisations involved in eye health week and hope that this week will be greatly successful in achieving its aims. I congratulate Stuart McMillan on being re-elected convener of the cross-party group for visual impairment. As a new member, I look forward to working with all members of the group. It's 10 years since the introduction of free eye health checks in Scotland by my colleague Lewis MacDonald as a responsible minister at the time. The move saw a real step change in the eye healthcare pathway in Scotland. Since then, the number of eye examinations has increased by 29 per cent. Optometry Scotland reported that last year alone, a total of 2.2 million eye examinations were provided by community optometrists in Scotland, with less than 7 per cent being referred to GPs and hospitals. That included over a million eye disorders managed by Scottish optometrists, including an estimated 200,000 eye emergencies. However, we cannot be complacent. That is why I very much welcome the current review into community optometry services. We need to maximise the front-line role that optometrists play in detecting and treating eye conditions, not only to ensure that we make the best use of their undoubted expertise, but to ease the pressures on our GPs and secondary health services. Over the next 20 years, sight loss is due to more than double from 108,000 to near 400,000. Eye patients now account for around 18 per cent of all outpatient appointments. The ageing population, the increase in the ethnic minority population, Scotland's health challenges such as diabetes, and more treatments becoming available shows the need to support front-line orthalmic care is more important than ever before. It is also clear to see that we need to develop a strategy to engage hard-to-reach groups such as those living in deprived communities to ensure that everyone benefits from a free eye health examination. I would therefore ask the minister if there are any plans to run a public health campaign highlighting eye health and the uptake of free eye health checks. In the meantime this week, eye health week provides us all with an opportunity to play our part in raising awareness of free eye health checks but also to act ourselves. We should all be taking advantage of our free eye health check. It is not just your distance vision that is tested but your eye pressure, peripheral vision and retinas making it possible to flag up a whole host of other conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma and particularly important for some members in this chamber, high blood pressure. I am sure that the chamber will be delighted to know that, thanks to RNIB Scotland, Optometry Scotland and Boots Opticians, I had those checks just yesterday when I carried out a visit to Boots Opticians in Dumfries and, as you can see, I am in perfect health. Those free eye health checks are a tremendous asset for us all and we must encourage everyone to use them. Successive Scottish Governments have recognised the importance of investing in eye health checks in Scotland and another building block is the investment in the digital referral scheme, linking up high street optometrists to hospital eye clinics. I appreciate the difficulties of complex IT projects and the practical application of technology but I hope that the minister can update the chamber on progress today. I would also like to touch on the opportunity that we have through health and social care integration. It is important that each integrated joint board works to develop a specific eye health plan and I would again ask the minister to give assurances that this will happen. Finally, like Miles Briggs, I want to put on record my recognition of the tremendous work undertaken by professionals in the sector of which I met a number yesterday, nurses, optometrists and ophthalmologists, who all make a tremendous contribution to dealing with the increase of sight loss in the population. Like Stuart McMillan, I would also like to thank the Thurks sector, which works so hard to promote the interests of people with sight loss. They run vital services and they also work closely with Government from the RNIB Scotland, Guide Dogs UK Scotland and the Royal Blind to local societies such as visibility, who run services in my constituency in Dumfries. To finish with, I urge all colleagues to ensure that they have their eyes tested and that they support the work of so many across Scotland to ensure that eye health is on the radar of our health and social care priorities. I would finish by very much commending the motion. I would like to thank Stuart McMillan for bringing this issue to the attention of Parliament again, given the importance that should be placed on maintaining good eye health. I put on record my support for this campaign. We are now on day 2 of iHealth week and the campaign organised by Vision Matters, focusing on promoting children's eye health. As Vision Matters notes, some of the biggest contributors to poor eye health in later life include not attending an eye test at least once a year, poor diet, lack of exercise, overconsumption of alcohol, smoking and not protecting your eyes from the sun. That is basic information and it is vital that our children are made aware of it from a young age, not only to protect their vision but to avoid a series of other health complications in later life, taking children for regular eye tests and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle go hand in hand. As Stuart McMillan and others have noticed, according to RNIB have noted, according to RNIB, over 180,000 people living in Scotland have a form of sight loss. Importantly, over 90,000 of those cases of sight loss could have been prevented by people having a regular eye test. However, ensuring that everyone across Scotland has easy and reliable access to community ophthalmic services is vital. In my own Highlands and Islands region, that can be particularly challenging given the spasticity of the population, which is of course spread over a large geographic area. According to the RNIB, the average waiting time for patients to receive inpatient or day case ophthalmic treatment is 52 days, but in the Highlands and Islands however it takes 62 days on average, which is significantly higher. That is unacceptable and more needs to be done to ensure that there are sufficient community-based ophthalmic and optometry options for patients across the Highlands and Islands and indeed in other remote and rural areas. With cases of sight loss estimated to more than double to 400,000 by 2030, charities including the RNIB have made clear calls for a new and coherent strategy to improve eye health across Scotland. The Government's own Scottish Vision Strategy paper stated that the clear aim was to eliminate avoidable sight loss by 2020. However, with cataract surgeries up by 80 per cent since 2000 and conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration expected to become more prevalent, action is required sooner rather than later. When the health committee recently visited the Golden Jubilee hospital, I for one was astonished to learn about the sheer number of cataract operations that are undertaken there and what a large proportion of operations they take up. Sight charities agree that a large part of tackling this is through publicising the fact that eye tests in Scotland are free. A recent new-gov survey said that only one in four Scots—sorry, a recent new-gov survey said that one in four Scots still are not aware of that. Given that this has been the case for a decade, as others have noticed, clearly more needs to be done to promote this. It is clear that we face major challenges with eye health care. I applaud vision matters for their campaign to raise awareness of this issue so that we in Parliament can work to find and implement the right solutions to help us to meet the vision strategy target of eliminating avoidable sight loss by 2030 and ensuring that people have greater access to eye health care facilities at a community level wherever they live. I commend Stuart McMillan for his motion. Thank you. I call Sandra White to be followed by the minister to close the Government. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I congratulate my colleague Stuart McMillan for securing this debate. It is such an important matter, and I think that it has been a very good debate. The contributions are not just about your eyes, as has already been mentioned by another colleague. They can tell so much about your health from an eye test. As someone who has just recently had to admit to the fact that I need glasses now and again to read, I know just how important it is to have your eyes tested absolutely regularly. That is why I wanted to congratulate Glasgow Caledonian University's vision centre in my constituency and welcome the work, which is obviously the GCU, but in Glasgow we call it Glasgow Caledonia. If I revert to Glasgow Caledonia rather than the full title, you know exactly who I am talking about. The work that they do is absolutely fantastic, raising the awareness of importance of eye health in the constituent in Glasgow and beyond. Training over 300 students each year in vision-related professions. It is the only university in the UK to train—I have to get my tongue round this one—optometrists—I hope that that is the correct word—and dispensing opticians. That is absolutely no mean feat to be the only university that trains in the whole of the UK. I also welcome its unique vision sciences research expertise and I understand that members of the public who visit the GCU vision centre are examined by students under the direct supervision of experienced and qualified clinical staff. They provide over 5,000 patient consultations each year. The work of the qualified optometry students at the Hunter Street centre, the health centre in Glasgow, who deliver eye care for homeless people and asylum seekers, and that is something that I did want to touch on because others have also, when Miles Briggs mentioned the fact that trying to reach out to the hard to reach people in the community, now people who are homeless and obviously asylum seekers are not always aware of the fact that they can go and get their eyes tested. I think that a special mention for Glasgow College of Drone and University's vision centre in regard to reaching out and making people aware and giving free eye care for homeless people and asylum seekers is something that we should be looking at and picking up on, I think that it was Miles Briggs who said it as well, we should perhaps have a special debate on the hard to reach people or highlight those particular groups of people who, as an example of people who need to reach desperately as well. If the minister was looking at putting forward a project to capture those hard to reach people homeless, asylum seekers and others as well, would she perhaps look at what is happening in Glasgow College of Drone and University's vision centre and the service that they provide and perhaps taking that on board for any future projects that the Scottish Government may want to do? Once again, I want to congratulate Stuart McMillan on a very, very good debate and a very, very worthwhile motion and something that we should all be actually taking out there and telling our constituents about. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I think that optometrist is easier to pronounce than ophthalmologist, but you did well with both. Minister, if you close to the Government please. I concur with that point about the pronunciation of some of the professions, so hopefully I will not get too tongue tied. I want to add my thanks also to Stuart McMillan for giving us the opportunity to mark iHealth week and discuss iCare in Scotland and echo my thanks to all the country's iHealth professionals as set out in Stuart McMillan's motion and also want to welcome RNIB to the gallery this evening. I am sure that most people in the chamber would agree that general ophthalmic services is one of the true NHS success stories in Scotland. The introduction in 2006 of free iExamination set Scotland apart from the rest of the UK. For the first time, everyone in Scotland, regardless of their personal situation, had access to an iExamination free of charge. That take has risen steadily to a position in 2015-16, where over 2 million people had their iExamined, the highest number ever. However, we absolutely recognise that more needs to be done in terms of reaching out to the whole of society. Those are points that have been well made by Kenny Gibson, Colin Smyth, Donald Cameron and Sandra White. Clearly, people recognise the benefits of having their iExamined regularly, and we need to ensure that that continues. Helping us to look after that crucial sense that, as Stuart McMillan, Stuart Stevenson and Kenny Gibson have pointed out, we often sometimes can take for granted and also the associated consequences that can happen if our site deteriorates. We are committed to ensuring that the best community eye care is accessible to everyone, providing a full health check of the patient's eye, including specific procedures, depending on the patient's age or condition. That is why, on 25 August this year, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport announced a review of community eye care services. I am glad to have that review welcomed by Colin Smyth, and I am also pleased to hear that he is in tip-top health condition, as well as he has set out his remarks. To reassure him and Donald Cameron that we will consider raising awareness of eye tests as part of that review, and to take on board the points raised by Sandra White about the good practice that is on going at Glasgow Caledonian University. Before I discuss the review further, I want to take the opportunity to mention the current eye care services provided in the community and talk about the position of strength that we are in in Scotland. The optometrist in Scotland is the first port of call for any eye problem. Evidence shows that more patients now know to go directly to their optometrist if they have any problems with their eyes rather than to go to their GP. Community optometrists are now taking on this extended role, demonstrating the growing capacity, capability and competency of the profession. Optometrists are now doing more work in the community, reducing the burden on secondary care and ensuring that patients remain in a primary care setting. A key enabler has been the decision in 2013 to allow optometrists to undergo training to independently prescribe medicines. Since then, the number has increased steadily, and there are now over 120 optometrists who have become fully trained independent prescribers and another 30 in the hospitals. That is totally one-third of all independent prescribing optometrists in the United Kingdom, and I believe that we should continue to grow that number. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank each and every optometrist who has taken the time to carry out this training and would encourage others to take up this opportunity. An excellent example of how prescribing can be used to improve patient experience can be seen in the Lanarkshire Eye Network Schemer Lens, which was set up in 2010. The scheme was set up to reduce the burden on secondary care, allowing optometrists to prescribe medication for certain eye conditions. That move was welcomed by both optometrists and ophthalmologists and improved patient experience as patients did not have to travel to hospital when it was not necessary. It has been a huge success. It has made optometrists feel more empowered by allowing them to make decisions on how to treat patients. It has reduced the burden on secondary care, freeing up the hospital eye service to treat those who need it most. It has seen optometrists and ophthalmologists working together to improve patient care, which I think that we can all agree is one of the utmost importance. It has high patient satisfaction, so it does not have to travel as far nor sign into waiting lists to receive treatment, particularly important in the treatment of eye diseases. That is good news and entirely consistent with the Scottish Government's 2020 vision for health and social care to treat more patients in their local community. As I am sure we all agree, the possibility of losing your site is so worrying. It is important that any potential loss of site is identified early. One of the major causes of site loss is glaucoma. That is of particular interest to me because it is a condition that my mum suffers from and has a hereditary element to it. That can affect a person's site due to the build of pressure in their eyes. Early diagnosis is important and community optometrists are in the ideal place of recognising that condition early. That is why, earlier this year, as part of the primary care transformation fund, the Government provided every optometry practice in Scotland with a pack emitter. Those hand-held instruments measure the thickness of a patient's cornea by being placed directly on the surface of the patient's eye. That helps to identify if a patient is suffering from glaucoma and, I am told, is absolutely painless. Optometrists and ophthalmologists are also working together when patients need referral to secondary care. Eye care integration is a programme that is under way that allows optometrists to send patient referrals to secondary care electronically, a point that was made in a local sense by Kenny Gibson. Previously, if an optometrists decided to refer a patient to hospital, they had to send the forms by post, which takes time, and the optometrists really knew if the referral had been received. Now, optometrists can not only send the referral electronically but can also attach pictures and scans of the patient's eyes. That allows the ophthalmologist to assess and triage the referral with an appropriate appointment being offered soon if that is required. In time, we hope that that will mean that there can be meaningful feedback to optometrists, hopefully reducing the number of unnecessary referrals to secondary care. As I mentioned earlier, the Scottish Government announced a review of community eye care in August of this year. The aim of that review is to look at the current good practice being carried out across Scotland and to see whether more can be done to ensure that people from all backgrounds can take advantage of free eye care examinations. RNIB and Optometry Scotland representatives are both members of the review group, with patients also involved to ensure how we capture their views. The review will work alongside other Scottish Government initiatives such as the Hesse Year strategy, which focuses on sensory impairment in children and adults. The review will report to ministers by the end of the year, and I look forward to seeing what recommendations are presented. I also wanted to highlight the other issues that were raised by members, such as Stuart McMillan's concerns about ensuring that other key pillars of Government policies such as GERFEC are part of the broader review. That is a point that is well made. Again, similarly, Colin Smyth's point about the changed landscape of social care and health integration is also a point that is well made, which the review will take nice and soft. Stuart Stevenson also outlined the challenges that are facing eye services due to our ageing population. Again, the review will be able to unpick some of the challenges that we face. In response to blind registration reviews that were raised by Miles Briggs, there is a review currently being carried out by the Government to gather information from professionals, including examples of good practice. Finally, Stuart Stevenson and Kenny Gibson also linked the condition of our eyes as a useful barometer of our health and wellbeing, so we will be mindful to take all the points and issues that were raised this evening into that review that we have set out by the Cabinet Secretary. To conclude, I have been pleased to be involved in this debate. I am sure that this chamber will continue to support eye health week in the years to come, but the fact that we are taking forward the review and the fact that there has been such a great interest in the work that has been undertaken means that we can promise to continue to work with colleagues to ensure that we can create a service across the country, which is fit for purpose for the needs of our population. So, thank you. Thank you. That concludes the debate. I now close this meeting of Parliament.