Boots Opticians has called on all sectors responsible for children’s health, education and sport to tackle undiagnosed vision problems experienced by schoolchildren in the UK.
The multiple’s vision for future children’s eye health has been published in green paper, Seeing the Future. Produced with input from notable sector experts such as Professor Maggie Woodhouse OBE, it outlined the fundamental need for broader action. It called on parliamentarians, policy-makers, commissioners and optical sector colleagues to work together to implement the recommendations.
Included among the recommendations were provisions for better education for parents and carers from local authorities and national bodies and changes to the NHS voucher system that would enable children and young people to access an increased range of optical appliances such as contact lenses and protective sports eyewear.
Seeing the Future also called on school governors to maximise the resources and external support available to promote eye health as well as the introduction of mandatory commissioning of a fully funded vision-screening programme for all children aged four to five.
Ben Fletcher, managing director, Boots Opticians said: ‘We know that so much more can be done to reach and identify vision problems in our children thus giving them an equal start in life. Having good vision can help children to perform better at school, become more involved in sports and grow in confidence.
‘Boots Opticians cannot fix this problem alone. I believe that partnership and collaboration is the key to making a significant impact upon the long-term life chances, health and well-being of children both now and in the future. This is the goal that we are working towards and investing in; this Green Paper is one more step towards achieving it.’