When your child is diagnosed with an eye condition, it may be confusing to know where to go for help and support and what the role of each professionals is. There are some services which cover the whole of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS and others that are specific to your local area. The general ones are listed below and then follow the links for information on your specific area.
If the information you require is not provided below, you can visit www.enquire.org.uk/find-a-service to search for education and other services in your local area.
Centralised Services
- Optometrists/Opticians
- Hospital Eye Services at Royal Hospital for Children/Other Hospitals
- Low Vision Aid Service
- Vision Assessment Clinic at Royal Hospital for Children
- Visual Impairment Clinic at Royal Hospital for Children
- Visual Impairment Specialist Nurse
Local Services
Optometrists/Opticians
In all areas, the dispensing and fitting of glasses following the prescription of these by a hospital eye department is done by your local community optometrist or optician. Sometimes, particularly as children get older, and if their condition is stable, the testing for and prescription of glasses will also by undertaken by your community optometrist.
The cost of eye test, lenses and certain frames are covered by the NHS. Alternative frames are available at an additional cost.
Hospital eye services
Ophthalmology Department at
Royal Hospital for Children – 0141 201 0000
Gartnavel General Hospital – main switchboard 0141 211 3000
Stobhill Hospital – main switchboard 0141 201 3000
Victoria Infirmary – main switchboard 0141 201 6000
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital – main switchboard 0141 201 1100
Royal Alexandra Hospital – main switchboard 0141 887 9111
Inverclyde Hospital – main switchboard 01475 633 777
Service description: Includes Ophthalmology (eye doctor), orthoptists (vision testing and eye movement), optometrists (assess the need for glasses). Diagnose and manage all eye conditions in childhood.
Age range: Royal Hospital for Children – 0-13 years old, Others – all ages
Access to service: Referral from Health professionals
Funding: NHS Service – free to children and young people
Low Vision Aid Service
Low Vision Aid (LVA) Clinic
Eye Department Gartnavel General Hospital 1053 Great Western Road Glasgow G12 0YNMain switchboard 0141 211 3000
Service description: Assessment of need for low vision aids and provision of appropriate aids identified. This includes various types of magnifiers for near vision and uniocular aids for distance vision. Age range: All ages Access to service: Referrals from Health professionals Funding: NHS service – free to children and young people but service does not provide large pieces of equipment e.g. CCTV but advice regarding these may be provided
Vision Assessment Clinic, Fraser of Allander Neurosciences Unit
Ophthalmology Department Royal Hospital for Children 1345 Govan Road Glasgow G510141 451 6577
Service description: Tertiary Assessment and advisory service provided by health specialists in the field of visual impairment. Age range: All ages (0-19 years old) Access to service: Referral from Health professionals and occasionally others by individual arrangement Funding: NHS service – free to children
Visual Impairment Clinic
Royal Hospital for Children 1345 Govan Road Glasgow G51Main switchboard 0141 201 0000
Service description: Initial health and developmental assessment of children diagnosed with a visual impairment. Advice to parents and identification of initial services required. Age range: All ages (0–19 years old) Access to service: Consultant ophthalmologists from Royal Hospital for Children. Funding: NHS services – free to children and young people
Visual Impairment Specialist Nurse
Vision Service William Street Clinic 120-130 William Street Glasgow G3 8URTel 0141 314 6257 Mobile 07787 835344
Service Description: Support to families of children with visual impairment – provision of information, provision of links to professionals and other families, help with play and communication. Age: All ages (0 – 19 years) for mainly preschool. Access: Health professionals and VI professionals
Funding: NHS Service – free to children