The value of children’s vision

It feels as though summer has yet to begin and the shops are full of back to school offers. Considerable time has been spent on prime time television looking at the merits of the lowest price school uniforms. Queues formed well before opening time outside at least one local supermarket as mothers tried to clothe their offspring in low cost uniforms. Everywhere we look advertising is promoting low cost this or that. On the television last night were images of farmers buying up bottled milk in a major supermarket at a retail cost well below actual production cost. At no point was any mention made of the value of the goods or services provided. We have become a nation that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

My dog has been ill recently and has had to have specialist investigations and intensive treatment. The vets’ bills have run into several thousand pounds. Thankfully the dog is insured. It is only when you see an itemised bill listing all the procedures carried out and their associated costs that it is truly brought home … health care is expensive. Not only are the drugs expensive but so is professional time. Failure to attend for an appointment is endemic throughout the NHS. The cost to the NHS of a missed appointment is well over £100. Yet patients persistently fail to attend for appointments. Their appointment is free so it has no perceived value.

In many ways the same can be said for our attitudes to children eye-care. It is free to the child yet parents seldom think about the importance of their child seeing well. The price for ignoring our children’s eyecare can be very high. Poor performance at school and the failure to get a quality start in life!