National Eye Health Week gains momentum

An abundance of awareness events, collaborations and media exposure has marked this year’s National Eye Health Week (NEHW).

Child eye care, laser eye surgery and wider health checks all entered the agenda in the opening days of the September 16-22 event.

A study released by independents group Sight Care showed one in five children either did not have regular eye tests or had never had one.

Paul Surridge, chief executive of Sight Care, said: ‘Eye tests for children are often some way down the list of priorities for busy parents. According to NHS figures, almost 80 per cent of children in the UK visited their dentist between June 2011 and June 2012, yet our Sight Care survey shows that only half of children in the UK visit their optician regularly.’