TIME TO TRANSFORM EYE HEALTH

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Specsavers are urging people to have regular eye tests to help maintain and protect their sight. Research* commissioned by the charity and high street opticians has revealed that one in five people will live with sight loss in their lifetime, despite at least half of all cases being avoidable. With nearly six million people in the UK currently living with sight-threatening conditions, nearly every family in Britain is touched by sight problems in some way. While sight is the nation’s most precious sense by far, with 78% of people polled saying it is the one they would least like to lose, a quarter of UK adults are still risking avoidable sight loss by not having had an eye test in the past 2 years. Of those who had not been for an eye test during that time period, 33% did not think that there was anything wrong with their eyes, while 24% said that they just didn’t have the time. Specsavers believes that eye care should be accessible to everyone. Specsavers Healthcall offers a free NHS sight test at home and a comprehensive home eye care service to those who cannot visit a store unaccompanied. As with all Specsavers staff, the home visiting teams are becoming Dementia Friends to help people with dementia recognise sight loss. The research reveals that only one in three people who qualify for a home visit are aware of the service. It is vital that, in an ageing society, we meet the needs of these vulnerable people and increase awareness. Specsavers’ clinical spokesperson Dr Nigel Best said: ‘Some people are waiting until they experience sight loss before booking an eye test, which means they are potentially preventing their optician from detecting signs of eye health problems or other medical issues at an early stage. Early intervention is vital in the management and successful treatment of many conditions.’ RNIB acting CEO Sally Harvey added: ‘We would encourage anyone who has put off going for an eye test to book one at the earliest opportunity.’ * YouGov Survey commissioned by Specsavers and RNIB 23rd June - 7th July 2017 of 6,430 UK adults aged 18+.