Thousands of patients across Greater Glasgow and Clyde are benefiting from new glaucoma care pathways that are bringing treatment and monitoring closer to home while helping reduce hospital waiting lists.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Ophthalmology team at the Gartnavel Royal Hospital and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) have been working closely with community optometrists to transform how glaucoma services are delivered, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right place while making better use of specialist hospital appointments.
Glaucoma is one of the most common conditions managed by Ophthalmology services and accounts for around a third of patients under the speciality’s care. Demand has continued to increase in recent years, creating additional pressure on hospital eye services.
To address this challenge, NHSGGC has expanded its Community Glaucoma Service, enabling specially trained community optometrists to provide ongoing glaucoma monitoring, assessments, and prescribing support for suitable patients closer to home.
The service means many patients no longer need to travel to hospital for routine glaucoma care, while remaining connected to specialist hospital teams whenever needed. At the same time, it allows consultant ophthalmologists to focus on patients requiring more complex treatment and urgent care.
Alongside this work, the Ophthalmology team has introduced innovative virtual glaucoma review clinics. Patients attend appointments for specialist tests and imaging, with results reviewed by consultant ophthalmologists and specialist optometrists who determine the next stage of their care.
The combination of community-based care and virtual reviews has significantly increased capacity within Ophthalmology services. More than 3,000 patients have now been seen through the virtual glaucoma pathway, helping reduce the number of patients waiting for follow-up appointments and supporting the safe discharge of increasing numbers of patients into community care. The service is on track to discharge around 1,500 patients to Community Glaucoma Services by the end of the year.
The approach supports NHSGGC’s wider ambition to deliver more care closer to home, where safe and appropriate, while ensuring patients continue to benefit from expert specialist oversight.
Dr Kerr Brogan, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, said: “Glaucoma is a lifelong condition for many patients, which means regular monitoring is essential to protect people’s sight. As demand for services has increased, we’ve been looking at new ways to ensure patients can access the care they need without unnecessary delays.
“By working closely with community optometrists and introducing virtual review clinics, we’ve created additional capacity within the service and improved patient flow through the system.
“Many patients can now receive ongoing care much closer to home, while hospital appointments remain available for those who need specialist assessment and treatment. This has helped us reduce waiting lists and improve access to care across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.”
Willis Wilkie, Community Optometrist, said: “Community optometrists are a key part of the NHS eye care pathway and are ideally placed to support patients with ongoing glaucoma care closer to where they live.
“This partnership between community optometry and hospital services means patients can access high-quality care in a familiar local setting while still benefiting from the expertise of specialist ophthalmology teams when required.
“It’s a great example of how primary care and hospital services can work together to improve patient experience, reduce waiting times and ensure more people receive the right care at the right time.”
