New glaucoma guideline will mean fewer referrals for investigation

NICE’s updated guideline on glaucoma will mean fewer people need to be referred for further specialist investigation and possible treatment. The new guideline now includes a section on what tests should be carried out by primary eye care professionals to determine if referral to a specialist is necessary. Glaucoma occurs when the nerve responsible for sight becomes damaged and is the cause of sight loss in around 10% of the 360,000 people registered as blind in the UK. There are several forms of glaucoma with chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG) being the most widespread, affecting around 480,000 people in England.