A review of school vision screening in Glasgow

To assess to what extent the primary school vision screening programme was being carried out in the years 1993-94 and 1994-95, what the prevalence of eye defects was in the primary schools and how many children had a positive screening test.

Summary sheets of the results of screening were returned by each school nurse.

All 315 mainstream primary schools served by Greater Glasgow Health Board.

All school nurses working in these schools.

Large numbers of tests were being performed but the screening programme was not fully carried out in 10% of schools in 1993-94 and in 68% in 1994-95, although the number of schools where some screening was performed did increase. The years were not directly comparable due to a change in the age groups screened. When a class was screened 94-96% of children were tested. The rate of positive screening varied from 4% to 15.6% and varied with age and locality. Fewer abnormalities were found at five years than in the older age groups (Primary 1-7.6%, Primary 4-11.4%, and Primary 7-9.7%) and fewer abnormalities were detected in the North-West area where a pre-school orthoptic screening programme was operating (4% in the North-West compared with 11% in the South where no pre-school screening was carried out).

If the recommended programme is carried out, then 95% of children at age five years could be tested at a stage when amblyopia is still potentially treatable. The reasons for the programme not being completed require to be addressed. Variations between areas need to be confirmed and the reasons for them identified. Further evaluation of the programme is required, exploring the accuracy of it and the long-term outcomes.