Verum writes: Good to see eye care campaigns but better to see them co-ordinated

It’s like waiting for the bus, none come along for an hour and then three arrive all at once. In this case not buses but positive advertising for optical practice. For years we have wanted to see a concerted effort that tells the general public about the benefits of an optical practice, separate from the continual diet of half price and two-for-one advertising. We know if the public sees a message often enough then the message is reinforced. Hence, I was delighted to see in September a number of health-related campaigns targeting the optical industry.

Firstly at the beginning of September we saw the announcement of a tie-up between the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Specsavers, backed by a very impressive media campaign. At the moment it is difficult not to see a billboard that tells us 14 million people haven’t had their eyes tested in the past two years, as recommended, and six million people are at risk of sight loss as they’re living with sight-threatening conditions. Looking at both the RNIB and Specsavers websites, various press releases and social media we learn the cost of sight loss, ie the direct medical costs and the indirect costs associated with it, account for about £28 billion per year in the UK alone, and yet half of sight loss is avoidable. The message is that if we can prevent sight loss, just by educating people to have eye tests, the economic implications for the UK alone would justify it, even in the absence of all the visual benefits that we would give to people. I’m sure this will be a sustained campaign as Specsavers and RNIB have a three-year venture designed to improve eye health, through encouraging everyone to look after their eyes and their sight.