National Eye Health Week (NEHW) organisers, Eye Health UK, marked the annual eye care awareness campaign (September 23-29) with a study highlighting the importance of the industry’s mission, as a staggering 19 million UK adults (36%) failed to get regular eye tests in the past two years as recommended.
Also, 18% of over 65-year-old UK adults had not had regular checkups in the past two years, while 4% of all adults cannot remember when they last had an eye test, according to 2,000 adults in the UK surveyed on September 6-10.
David Cartwright, optometrist and chair of Eye Health UK, explained the need for eye tests to detect underlying health problems: ‘Sight-threatening eye disease and conditions like hypertension can present with no, or few, noticeable symptoms. If caught early though they can be treated, or successfully managed, before they become a problem.
‘High-street optometrists play a crucial role in improving health opportunities for all. As well as caring for the nation’s eye health and preventing avoidable sight loss, optometrists can direct people to get the help they need for a wide range of illnesses.’
This year’s themes included: routine sight tests and vision screening; enhanced primary eye care services; keeping children and young people’s eyes healthy; colour vision; sight after 60 years old; affordable eye care; and live well to see well.
The study raised the concern of eye care cost perceptions causing a barrier to regular checkups, which aligned with this year’s NEHW campaign theme of affordable eye care.
More than half of people (55%) living in households with annual income of less than 10K had not received an eye test in the past two years versus just one third (33%) living in a household with an annual income over £90K. People from low-income households, men and people from minority ethnic backgrounds were also most likely to have skipped a recent eye test, according to the survey.
While some may feel held back by costs in the current economic climate, Eye Health UK emphasised that sight tests are free on the NHS for more than 30 million people in the UK, including children, over-60s and those on income-related benefits.
Cartwright added: ‘NHS-funded provision covers a range of eye care services. Free sight tests and optical vouchers are available for many, including those on low incomes and people at increased risk of poor eye health due to age or medical history.
‘People unable to leave home unaided are entitled to free domiciliary eye tests; while ICBs (Integrated Care Boards) or local NHS area teams commission translation and interpretation services, ensuring a patient’s language or communication skills are not barriers to eye care.’
Specsavers, a sponsor of NEHW, surveyed around 1,500 UK adults to investigate eye health issues further as part of the event. The research showed that 94% of people would be likely to use an NHS-funded urgent eye health check if it was available to them and 55% of people have faced difficulties speaking to or seeing their GP – with more than one in 10 waiting more than a month.
Specsavers has advocated for enabling the primary eye care sector to deliver more services under a nationwide NHS-funded Community Urgent Eye Care Service (Cues) to free up GP and hospital resources and prevent patients from being impacted by such ‘postcode lottery healthcare’.
Specsavers’ director of professional advancement, Paul Morris, said: ‘Primary care optometrists already provide access to vital eye care, supporting the NHS, but also stand ready and able to do even more to support the nation’s eye health. It would save hospital and GP appointments, easing pressure on them. That would be good news for patients, the wider health service and the country.
‘We have already seen the positive benefits of eye health innovation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A nationally commissioned NHS urgent eye health service in England would end this postcode lottery.’
NHS and private ophthalmology provider Newmedica also supported the NEHW themes and the need for more integrated work between primary and secondary care, shown through their accredited post-operative scheme.
Jagdeep Singh, head of clinical proposition at Newmedica and optometrist, added: ‘Newmedica backs upskilling of optometrists to deliver enhanced optical services – a theme of the week. We are also developing a programme of independent prescribing placements for primary care optometrists.’
Multiples and independents campaign
A host of multiples and independents have organised extra activities to raise awareness in areas of eye care they are passionate about, including children’s vision; menopause; preventable sight loss; access in homeless communities; and common eye problems such as styes and blepharitis.
Specsavers eye care professionals have been visiting schools to educate young people about eye health.
Vision Express aimed to become the first high street optician to train all clinical staff as menopause eye health advisors, starting with 30 stores from November 2024 with an intent to roll out across all Vision Express stores in 2025.
Research released by the multiple found 38% of over 45-year-olds were unaware that blurred vision and dry eye syndrome (37%) can
be symptoms of menopause, while 26% of those who have experienced menopause feared for the impact on their eyesight during this time.
Dan McGhee, clinical services director at Vision Express, said: ‘We want women to feel encouraged to book an eye test if they notice changes to their vision during this time of midlife and feel confident to speak to the optician about their symptoms.’
On a similar note, The Body Doctor has partnered with menopause campaigner, GenM, and secured MTick menopause-friendly accreditation for nine of its dry eye products. This was in conjunction with both NEHW and Menopause Awareness Month in October.
Independent healthcare provider, Practice Plus Group, has urged people with eye health concerns to visit their optical services regularly as part of the awareness week and interviewed Practice Plus Group optometrist Jayne Owen to spread eye care information.
The Practice Plus Group ophthalmology team also hosted an eye health open day on September 28 in Rochdale.
Optimax, a provider of laser eye surgery, opened its clinic doors for longer to provide glaucoma checkups and tackle eye care backlogs.
Meanwhile, OutsideClinic partnered with the homeless charity Alternative Angels in Swindon to provide eye care to homeless and vulnerable people. They joined together at the Pilgrims Centre on September 16, where OutsideClinic optician Matt Burford provided several eye health checks for those in need.
‘Access to quality healthcare is a basic right, not a privilege. Eye health is often overlooked, especially in vulnerable communities, and we hope to make a meaningful difference by providing these essential services. It was incredibly rewarding to offer health assessments to individuals who might not otherwise have access to this kind of care,’ Burford said.
Health issues such as hypertension and diabetes were addressed before patients were signposted to the appropriate services for further support.
Spreading innovation and knowledge
InnoScot Health, which works in partnership with NHS Scotland to identify and develop healthcare innovations, has released an ophthalmology innovation call out, asking for ‘forward-thinking ophthalmic solutions’ to improve efficiency and progress ophthalmic workforce and clinical systems.
This will be supported with a package providing advice and guidance in such areas as intellectual property protection, regulation, funding, project management and commercialisation, to a value of £25,000 initially. This followed £2m in Scottish government funding recently allocated to help reduce waiting times in ophthalmology.
Robert Rea, head of innovation at InnoScot Health, said: ‘National Eye Health Week represents an excellent opportunity to inspire fresh, powerful, innovative thinking across NHS Scotland.
‘Inspired by NEHW’s “vision matters” message and the need to heighten awareness, we believe the country’s expert ophthalmologists, alongside those in support roles, are best placed to identify unmet medical needs and bottlenecks – and how to solve them.
‘We’ve had some fantastic ideas submitted in response to our innovation call, from fresh approaches to digital therapy for eye conditions, and new ways of improving technology for retinal disease diagnosis, to better management of patients undergoing cataract surgery – but we believe there is more.’ Rea added.
Meanwhile, charity Glaucoma UK spread knowledge and awareness in a digital campaign with adverts themed ‘Your essentials: Put your eye health on the list,’ to encourage the public to integrate eye health into daily routines and attend regular eye tests.
Professor Leon Davies, interim head of Aston School of Optometry, also brought recognition to eye health and the profession in the University’s Aston Originals Health Matters podcast, with a National Eye Health Week-focused episode.
This discussed the school’s research and clinics and its work to ensure good eye health. The school has also run regular eye examination clinics providing free routine tests, which were carried out by optometry students under supervision.
