Scottish Ministers have amended the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 through the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 (S.S.I. 2025/337). The instrument was made on 5 November 2025, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 7 November 2025 and will come into force on 1 January 2026, according to legislation.gov.uk.
A statutory definition of “anterior eye condition” is inserted into regulation 2(1) of the 2006 Regulations. The term now covers anterior uveitis, blepharitis, corneal foreign body, episcleritis, herpes simplex keratitis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, infective conjunctivitis, marginal keratitis, ocular allergy and ocular rosacea. This narrows ambiguity around what qualifies for targeted referral within general ophthalmic services.
Two new defined roles are added for referral purposes. “Specialist ophthalmic medical practitioner” and “specialist optometrist independent prescriber” take their meaning from a new paragraph 14A in schedule 1. In practice, a specialist is a clinician with whom a Health Board has entered into a formal arrangement to provide general ophthalmic services for specified anterior eye conditions within that Board’s area.
Referral rules are tightened in schedule 1, paragraph 14. Where a patient shows signs of an anterior eye condition, a referral under paragraph 14(4)(i) may only be made to another ophthalmic medical practitioner or an optometrist independent prescriber if that practitioner is designated as a specialist under the new arrangements and has agreed to accept the referral. Routine onward referral to non‑specialists will not satisfy the updated requirements.
The Regulations add a location consideration for referrers. Under new sub‑paragraph 14(4B), the referring ophthalmic medical practitioner or optician is to take into account the place where the patient normally resides when choosing the specialist. This anchors referrals to local Health Board pathways and is intended to help services organise care closer to home.
Acceptance criteria are clarified. New sub‑paragraph 14(4C) allows a specialist to accept a referral only where they reasonably anticipate that they, or another specialist providing general ophthalmic services at the same practice premises, will be able to carry out any necessary eye examination. This introduces a reasonableness threshold linked to anticipated capacity at the receiving premises.
The framework for creating “specialists” is set out in new paragraph 14A of schedule 1. A Health Board may enter into an arrangement with an ophthalmic medical practitioner or an optometrist independent prescriber to provide general ophthalmic services for specified anterior eye conditions in the Board’s area. Clinicians who enter such arrangements are, for the purposes of those arrangements, treated as specialists.
Eligibility and process are prescribed. An arrangement under paragraph 14A may only be made with a clinician on the Board’s List and must be concluded on a form supplied by the Agency. The term “specified” means specified in the arrangement itself, allowing Health Boards to set the scope by identifying which of the defined anterior eye conditions are included locally.
For community optometry and ophthalmic medical practices, operational changes follow from the legal text. Practices should confirm which colleagues are recognised by their Health Board as specialists, ensure a clear process for obtaining and recording acceptance before referral, and update referral templates so that the patient’s normal place of residence is considered and documented in line with sub‑paragraph 14(4B).
For Health Boards, the commencement date of 1 January 2026 sets a short implementation window. Boards will need to identify eligible clinicians on the Board’s List, decide which anterior eye conditions are covered by each arrangement, and put the Agency’s prescribed forms into use. Publishing up‑to‑date details of specialist providers and acceptance routes will support compliance across contracted practices.
For the public, the practical effect is a more structured pathway for the defined anterior eye conditions. Referrals should be directed to clinicians that the local Health Board has formally engaged for these conditions, and acceptance should occur only where examination capacity is reasonably anticipated at the receiving practice premises.
The instrument is signed by Jenni Minto on behalf of the Scottish Ministers at St Andrew’s House, dated 5 November 2025. The amendments update the 2006 Regulations and are published on legislation.gov.uk as S.S.I. 2025/337, with a commencement date of 1 January 2026.