01 May 2009
Rhoda Grant, Highland and Islands Labour MSP, has expressed her disappointment at the Scottish Government’s lack of action of the implementation on Orthoptic care for youngsters.
The questions were tabled after representations from constituent Stephen Wilson, whose daughter has recently been diagnosed with sight problems, which he believes would have been caught earlier had more extensive sight testing been in place.
Mrs Grant said: “The Scottish Governments lack of action on this issue is very disappointing as we look to be moving towards a healthier Scotland.
“There should be dates and deadlines in place for health boards to implement any recommendations from reports.
“In this particular case, the Minister for Public Health has acknowledged that the Health for All Children 4 report has not been completely implemented in all health board areas.
“There should be no difference in the standards of health care for children in different NHS areas. Hoping to issue more advice simply isn’t enough when it comes to children’s health.
“Children’s health should be paramount as should be giving our youngsters the best possible start in life.
“It is simply not good enough that there is continuing inequality in provision across Scotland and the Scottish Government should be taking steps to address this.”
Mrs Grant added: “I have also been in contact with NHS Highland, who have assured me they are taking steps to bring in an orthoptic Supervision of Public Health/School Nurses to undertake preschool vision screenings as an interim measure.
“The health board said they hope to have this service running within the next three months with school nurses being trained to undertake vision screening in nursery settings at the start of the autumn term of 2009.”
Stephen Wilson’s two daughters aged 10 and 7 were recently diagnosed with a ‘lazy eye’. He believes that if the recommendations of the Health for all Children 4 report had been implemented, their sight problems would have been detected and rectified at an earlier age.
Mr Wilson said: “I am calling for NHS Highland to fully implement the Hall 4 Vision Screening recommendations as a matter of urgency.
“Every month an average of 6 children in the highlands with visual impairment issues are not being identified.
“Lazy eye affects 1 in 25 children.
“Do children in the Highlands have to wait another 4 years or more before NHS Highland identifies funding?
“In the meantime other young children in the Highlands will have to suffer and endure what my two daughters have to for the rest of their lives.”
