NHS Lanarkshire has established a dozen specialised treatment centres for emergency eye care during the Covid-19 pandemic.
All routine eye care has currently been suspended, with the exception of emergency dispensing of glasses.
The 12 emergency eye treatment centres where patients can be referred by their doctor or pharmacist are located in different localities across Lanarkshire.
The centres have been designed with social distancing in mind, with only one patient allowed in at each time.
Frank Munro, optometrist and optometric advisor for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “All optometrists in practices will be available to take phone queries and may be able to treat or manage you depending on how well you describe your symptoms.
“You can also send the optometrist digital images of your eyes from your mobile phone to help them to make a diagnosis.
“If the optometrist thinks you need a fact-to-face consultation, you will attend one of the 12 emergency eye treatment centres that we have established across Lanarkshire.
You can self-present to the emergency treatement centres which are located in: Airdrie, Bellshill, Biggar, Bothwell, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Lanark, Lesmahagow, Rutherglen, Stonehouse and Viewpark.
However, most attendances will be through a referral from a GP, pharmacist or the patient’s own optometrist.
“Prior to attending one of the centres, you may receive a phone call to ask for your history and symptoms”, Frank added.
“At the centre, you will receive a full examination and we would establish a management plan. Staff at the centres can prescribe, so you can rapidly access any treatments you may need.
“We can also share images with the staff at the hospital to help decide if you need to go into hospital for more intensive treatment or whether we can still treat you from the practice in the community.”
