Eye Health Care Charity of the Month
Eye Health UK organises National Eye Health Week annually
Millions of people in Britain are needlessly living with poor eye health, says Eye Health UK* – an independent charity dedicated to improving the UK’s eye health.
According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People1, uncorrected refractive error alone is to blame for as many as four in 10 cases of sight loss in this country.
Additionally, the 2022 Testing the Nation’s Eye Q report found that three quarters of UK adults reported regularly experiencing symptoms of minor eye conditions that all too often could be avoided with simple lifestyle tweaks or better hygiene2.
As a champion for ‘prevention’, Eye Health UK produces resources and runs public health campaigns to help people take better care of their eyes in an effort to prevent avoidable sight loss, improve eye health and help us all live well for longer.
ABDO past president, Jo Holmes, is a trustee of Eye Health UK
Jo Holmes, dispensing optician, past president of ABDO and now a trustee of Eye Health UK, explains: “Through our campaigning, we aim to encourage increased uptake of routine eye tests and give people the confidence to make informed choices about their eyecare. This includes things like making decisions on what type of eyewear might be right for them, or understanding the need to protect eyes from damaging UV.”
Jo continues: “Our work also builds eye health into a wider preventative health model, as we inspire healthy lifestyle changes such as eating well and staying active to benefit eye, as well as general health.”
Multi-channel eyecare
Digital health promotion is a key tool for the charity. Did you know that Google is asked more than one billion health-related questions every day?
Eye Health UK’s multi-channel approach to public health promotion ensures a diverse range of eyecare advice and information is available whenever and wherever people need it.
More than a quarter of a million people access its online advice and information every year – whilst its public information service provides a unique and individual response to people with concerns about their, or a loved one’s, eye health.
Optics in the news
During the last year, Eye Health UK’s media relations work has addressed a wide range of eyecare issues across national and regional press including:
• Dry eye
• Eyesight standards for motorists
• Caring for kids’ eyes
• Smoking and sight loss
• The importance of protective eyewear and contact lens care
Tools for the trade
The charity provides eyecare practitioners, healthcare professionals and educators with tools and resources to help promote engaging eyecare messages to their local communities. This includes posters, leaflets, flyers, a range of digital and social media assets as well as more innovative tools such as a kids’ activity guide with outdoor play ideas for under eights to promote time outside for the prevention and control of myopia.
The charity also publishes Vista magazine every year to mark National Eye Health Week.
National Eye Health Week
Vista magazine is published annually ahead of NEHW
National Eye Health Week (NEHW) is the charity’s biggest eye health promotion, with this year’s campaign taking place from 23 to 29 September.
The Week brings together thousands of organisations – including local authorities, public health organisations, GPs, pharmacies, opticians, charities, businesses and community groups – to share important eyecare advice and information with the public.
This year’s campaign is particularly timely as uptake of routine sight tests is yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels3; ophthalmology waiting times are the highest of any specialty4; and key lifestyle factors linked to increased risk of sight loss and poor eye health are on the rise amongst mass (obesity5) and niche populations (smoking6).
Results from previous NEHW campaigns show it is a highly effective vehicle for public engagement – reaching tens of millions of people and boosting footfall into practices7.
Find out more about NEHW at visionmatters.org.uk
Driven by data
Poster campaign focusing on drivers’ vision
An important strand of the charity’s work is understanding public perceptions and behaviour. It recently put the nation’s ‘Eye Q’ to the test and uncovered a lack of know-how when it comes to eyecare. The charity also led a multi-agency research project, which put drivers’ vision to the test.
Raising awareness of eye health by creating better public health messaging also forms the basis of the charity’s briefings to MPs and public health teams.
Lending support
The charity doesn’t receive any public or guaranteed funding and has to fundraise every penny spent promoting and supporting optics. It achieves a great deal on very limited resources, but with support it could do more.
To lend support and help Eye Health UK spread the word on eye health, optical practices can sign-up to make a voluntary levy payment on e-GOS – or fundraise by holding a bake sale or taking part in a sponsored bike ride or run.
For more about the charity and its work by following Eye Health UK on Instagram @NationalEyeHealthWeek or on X @eyehealthuk or @myvisionmatters
References
1. RNIB. Key statistics about sight loss. 2021.
2. Eye Health UK/Thomas Pocklington Trust. Testing the Nation’s Eye Q. 2022.
3. General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) activity data.
4. Rees S and Hassan H. The hidden waitlist: the growing follow-up backlog. Reform. October 2023.
5. Gov.UK. Obesity Profile: short statistical commentary. May 2024.
6. Increase in smoking among younger women in more advantaged social groups. UCL News. 18 April 2024.
7. Vision Matters. National Eye Health Eeek 2023. Executive Summary.
*Eye Health UK is the working name for the Eyecare Trust. Registered charity no 1086146.