Watchdog TV show urges public to attend sight tests

The programme, broadcast on Monday (August 14), led with a report from the Millennium Dome where staff were given eye examinations. The outcome - nearly a fifth had vision 'significantly below average' - underscored the message that the public are neglecting to visit their optometrist regularly. Another fifth admitted they had never had their eyes tested. A spokesman outlined the aim of the report. 'Some of us treat going to have an eye test with the same fear as going to see the dentist, but there's no need to,' he said. 'It only takes about 30 minutes and not only could it help you see more clearly, in some cases it could actually save your sight.' The report highlighted the case of a patient who had not had an eye examination in four years, but after seeing haloes went to his optometrist to discover he had glaucoma. Watchdog Healthcheck told its viewers that the patient, David Hurst, was now blind in one eye and bitterly regretted not having had regular eye tests. The item also mentioned that the average cost of an eye examination was &\#163;17. Optometrist Dr David Thomson said: 'It's clear we haven't got the message across terribly well. Having regular eye examinations really should be part of your regular healthcare.' The report warned that statistics showed that 38 per cent of people had not had an eye examination in the past two years, and 10 per cent of current driving licence holders would fail the driving test as a result of uncorrected poor vision.