Qualifications

NESGAT

NESGAT (NES Glaucoma Award Training) is a programme of accredited education and training in glaucoma management, delivered by NES Optometry.

Funded by the Scottish Government, this qualification allows independent prescribing optometrists in Scotland to manage discharged patients in the community

For full information, please see the NESGAT Turas Learn page.

Independent prescribing

We support optometrists to undertake training to become independent prescribers.

For cohorts prior to January 2026 the training involves:

• Prescribing Course at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) 
  contact prescribingoptom@gcu.ac.uk 
• 24 sessions within an eye unit
  (please see Placements and skills page for delivery options)
• exam set by the College of Optometrists
• registration by the GOC

For cohorts from January 2026 the training involves: 

• Prescribing Course at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) 
  contact prescribingoptom@gcu.ac.uk 
  (including 90 hours clinical placement with a registered Designated prescribing practitioner (DPP))
• registration by the GOC

MSC primary care

We worked with The University of Edinburgh's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM) and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) to develop two postgraduate programmes in clinical ophthalmology by part-time, online distance learning which launched in September 2014.

The University of Edinburgh MSc in Primary Care Ophthalmology is aimed at optometrists, ophthalmology trainees entering specialty training, GPs, other medics and other eye care professionals. This course is also relevant to orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses and dispensing opticians seeking to advance their understanding of clinical ophthalmology.

Need more information?

Please contact: glaucoma@nes.scot.nhs.uk