Thousands of Scots may have had their eye sight saved thanks to the free eye tests first introduced in Scotland three years ago, ahead of the rest of the UK.
RNIB Scotland, the country's leading sight loss charity, has welcomed a 6% increase in the uptake of the free examinations. The latest figures show the numbers rising from 1.63m people in March 2008 to 1.73m by March 2009.
Crucially, the new statistics also show increased referrals to follow-on care at a GP or hospital following the free eye test. The increase is from 3.5% to 4.2% of those tested. This means that 72,660 people in Scotland are now being referred for potentially sight-saving treatment.
John Legg, director RNIB Scotland, said: "We are delighted to see the increased uptake of eye tests continue year on year. This makes a crucial difference to the early diagnosis of sight-threatening conditions - giving a much increased chance of saving someone's sight through early intervention.
"Policies such as the free eye test contribute to making Scotland one of the world's leaders in eye health."