Simon Jones: Testing times

There was much positivity following the publication of data from the General Optical Council’s public perception research that found optometry practices outscored GPs when people were asked where they would go first with an eye problem. But a rather concerning awareness gap has reared its head.

Data from the College of Optometrists on the effects of the cost of living crisis found that half (50%) of the 2,003 participants were aware that children under the age of 16 were entitled to NHS-funded sight tests. This is a concerning statistic in isolation, but it becomes even more significant when you consider that 21% said they would put off eye tests for them or their children until they could afford any vision correction needed.