Scottish charities’ eyecare manifesto
Mark Ballard and Hazel Kelly outside the Scottish parliament
Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans have published a new manifesto calling on the next Scottish government to “invest to repair and upgrade Scotland’s crumbling eye health infrastructure”.
The manifesto calls on the next government to “recommit to cross-party promises to build a replacement eye hospital in Edinburgh as a matter of urgency”. The manifesto, developed with people who have visual impairment, also calls for action across nine areas of government, including health, education, social care and transport.
The organisations have cited new figures from Public Health Scotland revealing that almost 66,000 people were waiting for ophthalmology outpatient appointments in September 2025 – compared to 24,261 in 2015. They also highlighted that in Lothian, 3,372 out of 6,118 people face waits of more than 12 months.
Hazel Kelly, from Edinburgh, who is visually impaired due to macular hole and severe corneal conditions, and is a member of Sight Scotland’s Policy Group, said: “As someone living with visual impairment, I know firsthand how overstretched our eyecare services have become. NHS eye health services are under immense pressure, with waiting times soaring and urgent care delayed, but no one is taking responsibility for changing this. This must be a priority for the next Scottish government. I fully back Sight Scotland’s calls for immediate action. Investment is needed now to rebuild services, cut delays and ensure people like me can access the care we rely on.”
Mark Ballard, head of external affairs and campaigns at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, said: “Scotland’s eye health services are at breaking point. Too many people are waiting far too long for the care they need, and that isn’t acceptable in a modern healthcare system. The next Scottish government must act urgently to repair and upgrade our eye health infrastructure and put patients first.
“These figures from Public Health Scotland lay bare the human cost of under-investment…It’s time for decisive action. We need proper facilities, we need investment, and we need it now to ensure equitable, timely eye care across Scotland. We call on all parties to honour cross-party commitments and prioritise a new eye hospital in Edinburgh with a clear timeline for delivery,” Mark added.