English child screening 'a lottery' says Which?

At least 10 per cent of children in England are without access to vision screening in their early years, and the figure may be as high as one third.

Research for the May issue of Which? Health News has found that, despite a recommendation for a national screening programme, one in 10 primary care trusts (PCTs) does not arrange for any vision testing for four to five year olds at all.

This means a proportion of that group will pass through their school years with amblyopia or uncorrected refractive error, which will remain undetected or unreported.

The figure is based on the response to freedom of information requests from Which? as part of its research programme looking at the 2009/10 school year.