A Highland MSP has expressed disappointment at the lack of action by the Scottish Government in implementing a programme to ensure youngsters are properly screened for common sight problems.
An official report published four years ago recommended every child aged four or five should have his or her vision screened by specialist eye experts or as part of a programme monitored by orthoptists.
But last month the Press and Journal revealed that youngsters in many parts of the Highlands were being tested by school nurses unsupervised by experts specifically trained in detecting certain problems.
NHS Highland admitted that only children in the far north and in Argyll and Bute were screened by qualified orthoptists.
Stephen Wilson, 49, of Kirkhill, told the P&J he believed his 10-year-old daughter’s “lazy eye” could have been cured if it had been detected at the routine eye check-up when she was in primary one.
Now, Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant has tabled questions to Public Health Minister Shona Robison about orthoptic care.
The Health for All Our Children report, published in 2002, recommended eye tests for every child in either the year before starting school or the first year at primary.
Ms Robison admitted there were variations in the implementation of the report across health boards. She said the government was working to address the variation and hoped to issue further advice later this year.
Ms Robison said no date had been set for when it expected to have an orthoptist pre-school screening programme in every NHS board area, but those that did not were working towards implementing one or introducing a programme that was supervised by an orthoptist or an optometrist.
Mrs Grant said: “The Scottish Government’s lack of action on this issue is very disappointing as we look to be moving towards a healthier Scotland. There should be dates and deadlines in place for health boards to implement any recommendations from reports.”
She added that NHS Highland had told her that in the next three months it hoped to have brought in a programme whereby school nurses were supervised by an orthoptist or an optometrist.
The health authority said school nurses would also begin training to carry out eye tests in nurseries.