Welsh Eye Care Examination
The Welsh Assembly Government has introduced a special type of eye examination for a selected category of patients who live in Wales.
Wales Eye Care Service (WECS)
Optometrists (ophthalmic opticians) who are registered to take part in the WECS scheme may perform, free of charge, a special type of eye examination, depending on the patient's eligibility.
Selected categories of patients who may be at greater risk of eye disease and may be entitled to an 'Eye Health Examination'. A request for this can be made from the patient themselves or from the patient's G.P.
This examination has been specifically designed, by the health advisors to the Welsh Assembly, to detect eye disease in those patients potentially at greatest risk.
You will be entitled to this examination free of charge if your GP refers you or if you are eligible for reasons of personal or family health.
You are entitled to an Eye Health Examination if:
You have sight in one eye only, i.e. you are effectively blind in your worse eye.
You have a hearing impairment and are profoundly deaf
You suffer from retinitis pigmentosa.
Your family origins are Black African, Black Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi.
You are at risk of eye disease by other reasons of race or family history.
You can also ask your GP for a referral to a registered optometrist or you may visit the optometrist yourself and explain why you are entitled to an Eye Health eye examination.
What is special about this examination?
Sudden eye problems can be serious and prompt assessment is advisable. In the past, people with sudden eye problems visited their G.P. which often meant they had to wait to be seen. Now, if you have an immediate eye problem, which you think may be serious, you can visit an optometrist who is registered with the WECS1 scheme and will generally be offered an appointment within 48 hours. Also, the WECS1 scheme allows GPs to refer patients with a sudden eye problem straight to a registered optometrist. Optometrists are well placed in the community to check out these types of eye problems quickly and effectively.
Eye Health Examination
Research has shown that certain groups of people are more likely to develop glaucoma, diabetes, cataracts and other related eye diseases and would find losing their sight particularly difficult, so special care needs to be taken to identify early eye disease. If you fall into one of the listed groups then you can simply contact the optometrist and make an appointment.
What are the warning signs of eye disease?
Identifying the warning signs can be difficult. You can't always see the problems by looking in a mirror, and many of the diseases have no pain or discomfort - so it's important to have your eyes checked.
Is the eye examination the same as a sight test?
No, it is different from the routine sight test for glasses. The Wales Eye Care Service examination focuses particularly on the health of your eye. An optometrist who is registered with the scheme will thoroughly check your eyes for any signs of disease.