Alex Kerr MSP, who represents Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, visited The Optical Factor in Almalda Street, Hamilton to meet members of the team and hear about developments in the practice and across the wider optometry profession.
During the visit, Mr Kerr was tested by resident optometrist Nicole Ellis before sitting down with partner Neil Gray to discuss some of the key issues facing community optometry.
Their conversation covered the growing role of technology within optometric practice, the benefits of the Lanarkshire lens scheme to local communities and the opportunities presented by changes to the health board system in Scotland.
They also discussed the development of the profession itself, including the new MOptom course in Scotland, with its foundation training year due to begin in 2028, and the work being undertaken by Optometry Scotland to broaden the scope of optometry and ensure the profession continues to play an increasingly important role in the country’s healthcare system.
The visit comes as The Optical Factor enters a new chapter, following its recent acquisition and the appointment of new partners Neil Gray, Alistair Duff and Peter Telfer.
The practice was originally established by Carla DiMambro, who sadly passed away last year. Her daughters, Rachel and Rebecca, subsequently managed the practice before ownership transferred to the new partnership.
Neil Gray said the visit provided an opportunity to discuss both the opportunities and challenges facing optometry in Scotland.
“It was great to welcome Alex to the practice and have the opportunity to talk openly about where optometry is heading and the important role community practices can play in the future of healthcare.
“There is a huge amount of exciting areas being worked on in Scottish optometry, from the roll-out of the low vision scheme at a national level to the further advancement of the specialist supplementary appointments and also the community glaucoma scheme. All these services allow more patients to be seen locally for their eye health issues or concerns and ultimately lead to a better level of care.
“We also talked about the future of the profession. The introduction of the new MOptom course and its foundation training year from 2028 will hopefully allow the next generation of Scottish optometrists get the best start to their working life through increased clinic exposure and different working environments.”
“For us, this is also an exciting time for the practice. Following the recent acquisition, Alistair, Peter and I are now working together as partners and are committed to building on the strong foundations that Carla created when she established the practice.
“It was a pleasure to be able to share some of our ambitions with Alex and to discuss how practices like ours can continue to contribute to the future of eye care in Scotland.”
The visit also highlighted the close relationship between community optometry practices and the communities they serve, with discussions focusing on how changes to the profession can ultimately benefit patients locally.
For more information, or to book an appointment, visit www.theopticalfactor.co.uk.
