UK falling behind in eye care coverage

New research carried out by online spectacle retailer Mister Spex has ranked the UK 22nd for eye care coverage in a global list of 65 countries.

Using data from the World Health Organisation and World Bank, Mister Spex took into account factors such as percentage of the population that used glasses or contact lenses, whether the country provided insurance coverage for eye care, and what percentage of the population needed eye care but could not access it.

The UK was ranked in position 22 for eye care and in position 36 out of 65 for the percentage of population using glasses. Data revealed that the percentage of adults that required glasses in the UK was 69%, a figure that fell to 52% when taking into account the entire population, including children. Contact lens wearers accounted for 8% of the population, with the same figure having had laser eye surgery.