The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is calling on the profession to raise awareness of optical vouchers for the elderly after a new report by the charity revealed that six million older people in the UK are failing to have regular eye tests.
The RNIB's Older People and Eye Tests, report was published on Wednesday, to coincide with its Eye Test Action Day and was based on a survey of 5,000 over-60s. The survey found that nearly half, (47 per cent) of the over-60s are failing to have an annual eye test. According to the report authors, the three main reasons given by older people for not having frequent eye tests were: the cost of replacing spectacles, the belief that there is nothing wrong with their vision and the difficulty in getting to and from the opticians.
Survey results also revealed that there was a clear lack of awareness of entitlement to NHS optical vouchers with a staggering 71 per cent of respondents saying that they thought they were not eligible.
The charity is calling on the government to invest in a large-scale eye health awareness campaign targeting older people and to simplify the rules governing access to optical vouchers and to promote their availability among older people on low income.
To improve access, the charity is urging professional optical bodies to collect data on opticians providing spectacles that are covered fully by the voucher value and make it available to the public.
There are also calls for optical bodies to place a duty of care on optometrists to either provide domiciliary services or give patients information on how to access these.
RNIB campaigns manager and report author Barbara McLaughlan, said: 'Our message to people over 60 is simple: Don't wait until you notice changes in your vision to visit your optician - get your eyes tested every year. That message needs to get out loud and clear to the UK's 12 million over-60s, but government investment is needed in order for that to happen.'
The Eye Health Alliance said this week that it was backing the RNIB's initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests. In a statement the Alliance, a coalition of the optical bodies and other groups, said: 'The Eye Health Alliance has long argued that regular eye tests are essential for early detection and are an important eye health check for everyone. Older people are particularly vulnerable and their eye sight is especially important, both for their quality of life and their safety, so it is vital that they take advantage of the high-quality, accessible service those opticians provide in every community.'
'As part of the Vision 2020-led National Vision Strategy, the Alliance is working to publicise the importance of sight testing and to eliminate as many barriers to eye tests as possible.'