Orthoptic Standing Committee (OSC)
Current Focus
The OSC is working across a range of age groups and has participated in issues driven working groups. This has involved working with Primary Health & Community Partnerships Branch of NSW Health (PH&CP) on the design and implementation of the Statewide Eye Preschooler Screening (StEPS) Program. The OSC was successful in winning funding from NSW Health for the ‘Train the Trainer’ program for 4 year old vision screening for the StEPS program. It has also obtained funding from the SOS to undertake special projects and research.
Stroke and Vision Defects Working Group: this group was established in 2009 with participants from NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland to implement the recommendations of the Stroke Patient Care & Vision Defects Report. The group is working on the development of a vision screening tool for stroke clinicians. Validation of the tool commenced in February 2011.
Research/Special Projects
eyeplaysafe Project (2009): findings of the Eye Health Promotion/Disease and Injury Prevention in School Aged Children literature review have been used to gain funding develop an interactive computer game to educate children, parents, teachers and carers about paediatric ocular injuries. The OSC has worked with the Centre for Clinical Innovation of the Department of Education and Training to develop trial and introduce the resource into NSW schools.
eyeplaysafe went live on 1 February 2011 and can be viewed at
Eye Health Promotion/Disease and Injury Prevention in School Aged Children (2006) – funded literature reviews of recent scientific evidence into paediatric ocular injury and paediatric ocular damage related to sunlight exposure have been completed.
Stroke Patient Care and Vision Defects (2008): this project evaluated different models of stroke care to determine whether patients diagnosed with a stroke and admitted to a designated stroke unit had equitable access to eye care. The project was completed in 2008 and the final project report is available below.
Like to know more
Background: the primary aims of the OSC are to evaluate orthoptic services in the public sector and the broader community and to consider different models of ophthalmic service delivery involving orthoptists.
Following the implementation of the ‘Families First’ policy by NSW Health, vision screening no longer occurs in schools. Vision surveillance and screening must now be undertaken prior to school entry. The OSC worked with PH&CP Branch of NSW Health to review the vision section of the Personal Health Record (PHR) or Blue Book given to each mother on the birth of her child. A small working party comprising community nurses, general practitioners, paediatric ophthalmologists and orthoptists developed and agreed protocols for vision surveillance and screening techniques. These protocols informed recommendations for updating the vision section of the Blue Book. OSC recommendations were accepted by NSW Health and included in the revised version released in March 2007. Following its release the then Minister for Health, announced funding of about $14 million over 4 years for the StEPS program.
