Universal Medicine

Vision is one of our most precious possessions. Multiple polls globally show that most people are more fearful of becoming blind than losing any other sense. (1,2) With sight being such a valuable asset, one would assume that eyecare is at the forefront of medical services across the world. Living in the developed world, we perhaps take for granted the simple and yet crucial services available to us such as regular eye tests, glasses, contact lenses and high-quality ophthalmic care - most of which can be accessed for free or at a subsidised price. However, in many parts of the world this is not the case. 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, with 90% being from developing countries. (3) In China, for example, levels of blindness are increasing each year, however critically, rates of blindness have been reported at up to 4 times higher in the developing world as compared to more economically developed countries (4, 5). This is particularly worrying given that around 80% of

As the current Co-President of my university’s ophthalmology society and general practice (GP) societies, I’ve always considered whether I could marry these interests when it came to pursuing my career in medicine. Several clinicians have thought similarly, with some GPs developing an ‘extended role’ (previously known as a ‘specialist interest’) in ophthalmology. These clinicians may run specialist clinics at GP surgeries for ophthalmological complaints or work part-time as ‘hospital doctors’ whilst continuing to be a GP. Primary care is an important part of the NHS. It is the first point of contact for patients and ensures continuity of care within a healthcare system, as well as being responsible for referring and coordinating other specialist care that patients might need. GPs and eye health services (such as opticians) are the primary care services that are likely to deal with ophthalmological complaints. Despite public perceptions that community opticians just sell glasses, optici