The maxim ‘prevention is better than cure’ receives a timely boost this month as National Self Care Week, November 18-24, encourages people to take a proactive approach to health.
This campaign supports the urgent need to get a population that is living longer to make positive lifestyle choices that raise the general level of public health and wellbeing. It is also an opportunity to educate patients on the most appropriate places to seek healthcare advice, such as visiting their optician when they are experiencing eye problems, rather than their GP.
From a primary eye care perspective it is a chance to highlight the importance of regular sight tests as part of a good self-care routine, emphasising the benefits of detecting conditions – such as potential glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration – before any change in vision is noticed by the patient.
As a sector, it is an opportune moment to promote the potential of primary eye care to play a pivotal role in supporting population wellbeing. Thirteen million NHS sight tests are carried out every year – meaning around 20% of the UK population visit an optical practice annually. For many this may be their only interaction with the NHS, but vision testing can often uncover wider wellbeing issues. By commissioning services enabling opticians to signpost patients towards support and to deliver complementary services in practice, the NHS could tackle wider issues linked to vision problems at an earlier stage and prevent more serious issues arising.
With 5,000 optical practices in accessible locations throughout the UK, there is strong potential for primary eye care to reach a high proportion of the population to support a proactive approach to self-care; it is an opportunity that should not be overlooked.