EQUIPMENT GRANTS

Optometry Scotland can now announce the following details with regards to the 2008/2009 equipment grant:

• A grant of up to £10,000 can be claimed per practice for cameras within the required spec.
The grant payable will be the actual cost of the camera or £10,000 whichever is lower.

• The grant may be paid towards a new digital fundus camera or for the reimbursement
of expenses in respect of a new digital fundus camera already purchased.

• The camera must be of a type where the camera body can be replaced and must exceed
2Mpixel.  The ONLY exception would be where the fixed camera exceeds 10Mpixel or
there is an OCT element.

• The grant can also be used towards the cost of a pachymeter and/or goniolens again the
actual cost of the pachymeter and/or goniolens will be reimbursed.

• The grant cannot be used to purchase a second-hand or re-conditioned camera.

• Funding for the grants will be allocated to NHS Boards to distribute locally.  

We hope to have further details on how to claim your grant from your Local NHS Board
within the week!
  
If you require further advice, please email Debbie McGill at: Optometryscotland@yahoo.co.uk

PROVISIONAL LIST OF APPROVED DIGITAL CAMERAS

The following list of digital cameras are suitable for grant support:-

Kowa Nonmyd7 with Nikon back (e.g.D80)

Topcon NW6 with current digital back (e.g. Nikon D1, D70s, D80)

Canon DGi with current digital back (e.g.30D, 40D)

Canon CR6

Nidek AFC2IO with Canon EOS 5D back

Zeiss Visucam

Topcon OCT

Please note that the grants will be made available for the purchase of new equipment with evidence of the purchase being made available to the SGHD. This will be retrospective for appropriate new equipment purchased in the past.

Further advice on the claim process will be published in the near future.