Child vision campaign turns to parents

Parents and carers have been targeted by the College of Optometrists to ensure their children attend a free eye exam instead of relying on a flawed school screening service.

A report in last week’s Sunday Telegraph revealed that less than a third of local authorities provided an eye test for primary school children.

College clinical adviser Dr Susan Blakeney told the newspaper that the vision screening programme for schools was a postcode lottery.

The report found screening in just one in five London schools, prompting the College to launch a new campaign making parents and carers aware of children’s eye health.