Regional lead update: Scotland

Graeme (second from left) and colleagues helping out at the 2014 Commonwealth Games

There is a huge amount to look forward to over the coming year for ABDO and its members.

As dispensing opticians (DOs), we have the recognition of 100 years as a dispensing profession – and in this journal that is something we aim to shout about. This is a fine achievement for our profession, and one we fully intend to acknowledge and celebrate.

Here in Scotland, we have the honour of having Brenda Rennie stepping into the role of ABDO president in May. Brenda is joining ABDO’s current president, Kevin Gutsell, and CEO Alistair Bridge, in their challenge to visit 100 practices over the course of the year.

ABDO Board member, Dylan Russell, and I will complete a running challenge around the figure of 100. I am sure you have ideas on how best to celebrate this occasion, so please do so and share your activities with us. We have said before we need to celebrate the good work our DOs do every day, and this is the perfect opportunity to achieve this on a bigger scale.

Games return to Glasgow

In 2014, I had the pleasure of volunteering in the eye clinic at the Commonwealth Games, which return to Glasgow this year. This was one of the best experiences of teamwork I have experienced in 40 years of working. Every individual from all specialties worked collaboratively to achieve the best outcome for the patients who attended the clinic.

We often talk about a ‘can do’ attitude and this was certainly my best experience of that to date. Especially good was how optometrists, DOs and the lab collaborated to find a pair of spectacles to fit ‘Big Peter’ (not his real name) who had a PD of over 80. Although our eye clinic was designed to supply only emergency spectacles, we found ourselves dispensing spectacles daily to many who simply did not have access to healthcare in their home country.

Anyone who has done any work in the developing world will appreciate how much satisfaction can be obtained by simply doing our job. We take our access to healthcare very much for granted, so it’s important to take a step back sometimes and appreciate what we have.

GCU’S 150th anniversary

2026 also sees the 150th anniversary of the institution now known as Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). From its early beginnings as a cookery or ‘dough’ school, GCU has now transformed into a modern university.

Many of our ABDO members studied there, including myself and past ABDO presidents Fiona Anderson and Peter Black. The mainstays of teaching at GCU were John Mitchell and Lex McLymont, both fine role models for hundreds of students. Appropriately, 2026 also sees the return of a degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing to GCU.

Elections opportunity

This year will also see a Scottish election, determining who is the government in our Holyrood parliament. Often, we think such events do not affect our daily life as DOs. However, eyecare is important to the Scottish government and is very much on the radar of our MSPs and prospective MSPs, mainly thanks to the good work of Optometry Scotland.

In practice, we have significantly reduced the burden on GPs and ophthalmology in secondary care with our practices becoming the first port of call for all eyecare needs. We often underestimate the power we all have in elections – so please do some research and hold politicians of all colours to account on what plans they have for eyecare in Scotland. Will they continue to expand the roles in primary care, or will they even claw back on what we currently offer? Ask if they are aware of the work DOs undertake, and our potential to do so much more.

First, we need full registration for DOs with our health boards to facilitate what comes next. The expanded role of the DO is likely to start with the long-awaited low vision scheme. Though when that will happen is in the hands of our politicians.

Let’s celebrate for the full year, and ensure we shout about the vital role of the DO in our profession.

Graeme Stevenson FBDO (Hons) CL is ABDO regional lead for Scotland. He works in practice, is a lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, and a member of the General Optical Council’s Education Visitor Panel.