Charity issues reminder to look out for your eye health

A charity is urging people to ensure they continue to look after their eyes to avoid any unnecessary sight loss.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has issued the warning during this year’s National Eye Health Week, which runs until Sunday.

The charity is highlighting the role that high street optometrists can play in eye care, at a time when hospitals are facing backlogs in appointments caused by delays and cancellations as a result of lockdown.

Louise G ow, Specialist Lead in Eye Health at RNIB, said: “It’s very important that people in the North East look after their eyes in order to avoid unnecessary sight loss.

"The most common sight conditions in the UK, including cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be detected during a routine eye test.

"With optometrists reopening after lockdown, we are urging anyone who is due an eye test to get in contact with their optician and book an appointment.

“Numerous safety measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, including asking people to arrive exactly at the time of their appointment to avoid full waiting rooms or delays, staff wearing full PPE and social distancing between staff and patients where possible.

"We want to reassure people that every effort is being made to ensure their safety and urge them to get any sudden changes in vision seen to.”

The past few months have seen a shift in how optometrists provide support. Many opticians have been open throughout lock down for phone advice or see people who were worried about their vision face-to-face.