Optician news in brief

Almost half of the UK's fleet vehicle operators have failed to offer any form of eye examination to their drivers. According to research by road safety charity Brake, 42 per cent of fleet companies had no scheme at all, while 56 per cent did not record when their drivers last had an eye test. Brake's Fleet Safety Forum initiative has announced plans for a one-day workshop for fleet managers and road safety professionals next month.

Celebrity GP Dr Mark Porter has featured in a short television documentary about ophthalmic surgeon Sir Harold Ridley. Dr Porter told the story of how Sir Harold's experience operating on Spitfire pilots during WWII had assisted his pioneering work on cataract surgery. Injured pilots' eyes did not rejected slithers of acrylic plastic stuck in the eye, Dr Porter said, proving to Sir Harold that intraocular lenses could work for cataract patients. The feature was broadcast on the BBC's The One Show last week and can be viewed online at http://tinyurl.com/7ddeslg